Miraclon CEO Chris Payne discusses the expected challenges and opportunities for the flexo packaging printing industry in 2025, the importance of modern flexo practices, and what the industry can expect from Miraclon this year.
What do you expect for the packaging printing industry, and flexo printing, in 2025?
Chris Payne, CEO, Miraclon – While the packaging printing industry will continue to face a variety of challenges this year, including competitive and cost pressures, growing sustainability requirements, skilled labor shortages and new regulations, the future for flexo, which addresses all of these challenges, looks bright.
As Smithers’ latest deep dive into the sector shows (The Future of Flexographic Printing Markets to 2029), the outlook for flexo is healthy. Globally, flexo is forecast to grow by 3.1% CAGR in volume and 3% CAGR in value. While the strongest regional growth is in Asia, with India leading the way, more mature regions are still experiencing moderate annual volume and sales growth across all packaging categories – flexibles, corrugated, folding cartons and labels.
There is therefore still considerable potential to benefit from the business opportunities for flexo printing in the years to come.
How important is it for flexo printers to consider modern flexo practices?
Chris Payne – To remain competitive in 2025 – and to offer brand owners more efficient and sustainable packaging printing – it is important for flexo printers in both mature and growing emerging markets to adopt and take advantage of the benefits of modern flexo practices. This means implementing a standardized, sustainable, resource-saving manufacturing process that does not require frequent human intervention and which reduces press set-up times, unscheduled press stops, and the number of inks required to print each job.
I am pleased to say that the customers I meet with around the world who are applying these modern flexo practices are reporting reduced waste, increased resource utilization, and state that it is enabling them to make flexo printing more sustainable while ensuring consistently high print quality. It ultimately improves their bottom line.
Most recently, I met with several printers across Asia who have been able to adopt and implement modern flexo practices quickly and successfully, many of them doing so as part of a wider transition to flexo from other traditional printing processes, while others are ensuring the best return on their flexo press investments. And, all of them are utilizing our team of flexo experts to support them with this along the way.
So, what does 2025 hold in store for Miraclon?
Chris Payne – We will maintain the same 100% focus on growing flexo and helping our customers achieve their business goals. Our innovation roadmap is strong and continues to build on our award-winning products. We will also continue to deliver our knowledge-based services to support the implementation of modern flexo practices that maximise customers’ investments.
Furthermore, we will continue to build on our strategic partnerships and alliances with other stakeholders across the flexo value chain – particularly on print automation, but also to meet the growing sustainability demands of brands, consumers and regulators. These partnerships have been, and continue to be, critical in the evolution of flexo and enabling printers to adopt the modern flexo practices they implement today.
