Heidelberg used a press conference from its stand at last week’s Interpack trade fair to announce a new strategy for the packaging market, based on integrating its systems with other players in the packaging sector.
Felix Müller, CEO and general manager for Heidelberg Web Carton, explained, “We were already there for three parts of the value chain, for prepress, press and post-press. Now comes the next part. We will expand our system integration upstream and downstream to the whole value chain in packaging. That is our target.”
The genesis behind this is the growing use of GS1 codes, which will replace the ubiquitous barcode for all products and allow for a much greater range of information. GS1 codes are already mandatory across the pharmaceutical packaging sector and have enabled track and trace processes that have helped cut down on counterfeiting. However this also puts a lot more pressure in terms of data management throughout the packaging chain, particularly in print production. Müller notes, “We are looking at the pain points our customers will have,” adding, “It’s not anymore about selling an optimized machine; it’s about optimizing the whole production.”
To this end Heidelberg has collaborated with a number of different companies, including the Canadian company Pack-Smart Inc, which develops automated packaging and print finishing solutions including adding personalization and traceability. Derek Dlugosh-Ostap, founder and CEO of Pack-Smart, says that packaging is changing, “What was once the final process on the production side has become something more. It’s a direct connection with the consumer. That is the idea behind the collaboration between Heidelberg and Pack-Smart.”
Dlugosh-Ostap went on to say that packaging is now becoming part of a brands’ digital infrastructure, “The production lines are no longer just a production system, they are becoming data collection systems which forces change in the way that existing systems are interacted with.” He adds that the challenge lies in managing the integration of data without slowing down the production lines.
Heidelberg will integrate some of PackSmart’s technology into its presses and post-press equipment to allow for better data integration in production. That will allow for features such as serialization, authentication, and traceability of packaging to be integrated into Heidelberg’s own Prinect workflow. Ultimately the aim is to develop integrated, standardized packaging systems for clearly defined application areas, such as folding cartons, flexible packaging, or labels. Both Heidelberg and Pack-Smart have pledged to align their solutions and create a common framework for global distribution, to help them push into local markets with the promise of uniform technical standards.
The centrepiece of Heidelberg’s stand at Interpack was a Pack-Smart inkjet solution that was able to print customised GS1 codes onto packaging samples. Other samples on the stand included cosmetics packaging, as an example of higher value jobs, and food and beverage packaging to showcase the ability to handle high volume applications.
Heidelberg’s ambitions go beyond print itself and includes a partnership with the pfenning group, which specializes in logistics. The idea is to link production and logistics and the flow of data around those.
Heidelberg has also teamed up with Metsä Board, which produces folding carton board. Heidelberg will feature Metsä’s products at its demo centre and the two companies will carry out research and development projects and pilot production runs. The goal is to enable packaging printers to develop sustainable packaging solutions and produce them using Heidelberg systems. Müller adds, “We want to replace plastics but film will always be there. So we want to collaborate and see what market potential we can find.”
As Jürgen Otto, Heidelberg’s CEO commented earlier, “The packaging market is a key growth driver for Heidelberg, as it is driven by global trends such as population growth, urbanization, and the desire for greater sustainability. We are systematically expanding our solutions to cover the entire manufacturing process in packaging production, from substrate selection through printing, finishing, and logistics all the way to digital integration.”
You can find further details from heidelberg.com and packsmartinc.com.
First published by the Print and Manufacturing Journal on 18th May 2026. Republished by permission.
