What developments, trends, and challenges do you personally expect for the packaging printing industry in 2025?

The most pressing challenges facing the printing industry are flexibility, sustainability, and the shortage of skilled workers. These are global trends that have been accompanying us for some time.

The technologies presented at major trade fairs such as Drupa 2024 reflect these challenges—driven by external influences rather than the printing process itself. As a manufacturer of printing presses, it is our responsibility to address these issues and provide our customers with solutions to help them remain competitive. One example is the increasing demand for shorter print runs, influenced by marketing and social factors, leading to greater variety and a rising demand for special editions and smaller packaging sizes.

At the same time, printing presses must become more efficient and make better use of resources. This brings both ecological and economic benefits—an essential criterion in an era where environmental awareness and profitability must go hand in hand.
Another global challenge facing the industry is the shortage of skilled workers. This issue is not limited to the printing industry but also presents a significant obstacle for our customers—something we hear frequently in our conversations.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to find experienced personnel capable of handling the complexity of the process, our printing presses must adapt. They need to be smarter, more automated, and easier to operate for less experienced users. By supporting operators in their work with the machines, we help our customers remain productive and prepared for the future.

At Windmöller & Hölscher, this has led to significant developments that we have introduced at Drupa 2024. One example is our brand-new Alphaflex CI flexographic printing press, specifically designed to address the challenges of increased flexibility, improved sustainability, and the shortage of skilled workers. Another innovation is Easy-Setup, a new member of our EASY family, which supports operators and safely guides even less experienced users through the critical steps of the process. Additionally, our research and development department is working on a digital printing concept to meet the growing demand for even more variety and smaller print runs.

Printing itself has not fundamentally changed. In 2024, we looked back on 70 years of central impression (CI) flexographic printing presses for flexible packaging. This W&H innovation has been at the core of our CI flexographic presses since 1954. However, the conditions under which printing takes place continue to evolve. Our task as machine manufacturers is to listen to the market and our customers, respond accordingly, and adapt our printing presses to meet current and future demands.