Sustainable Future (CONT’D FROM PAGE 87)
For years, increasing digitalization has enabled new solutions to make processes more efficient in terms of the use of time and resources. An important trend here is also the gradual improvement of analogue systems, which are in direct competition with new digital machines. Machine learning and AI are also driving automation and impacting print and packaging products, according to the drupa report. Companies around the world are increasingly investing in more sustainable processes and products as consum- ers continue to use it in their decision-making. On the one hand, specific consumer expectations must of course be addressed in order to survive on the mar- ket in the long term and maintain or increase brand value. On the other hand, more sustainable processes and prod- ucts now offer huge potential to make processes more and more cost-effective, as it is basically mostly about the challenge of efficiency. The paper and printing industries are therefore already moving in the direction of a circular economy. The role of the industry within this sustainable trans- formation will also be the key topic at the special forum Touchpoint Sustainability at drupa 2024. “Hardly any other topic concerns us more at drupa 2024 and in the entire mechanical and plant engineering industry than sustainability – not just from an ecological but also from an economic perspective,” said Schiemann. What are the forecasts for the printing and paper in- dustries against the backdrop of current megatrends and geopolitical upheavals? Overall, the industry is growing. A recent study by Smithers shows that demand has been rising for some time and growth forecasts are good. Overall, Smithers expects average annual growth of more than 2.1 percent for the global printing industry over the next five years, adjusted for inflation, after 1.1 percent in the past five years. This development is expected to be driven primarily by the labels and packaging sectors, where the growth of recent years will continue, albeit no longer at the same level. This sector currently accounts for around 60 percent of the global printing market. The overall growth of the global print market – even adjusted for inflation – will actually accelerate slightly over the next five years compared to the corresponding previous years. The compound annual growth rate is ex- pected to increase worldwide from 0.5 percent to 1.7 per- cent. For Western Europe, Smithers expects stable, almost unchanged development. Asia, by far the largest market, along with Africa are both expected to grow at a respec- tive, average rate of around 3 percent per year until 2028, and thus post the highest growth rates. In North America, the market volume recently reported as slightly declining, is expected to stabilize again. This assessment is supported by the fact that the ma- jority of global long-term investments by leading brands have been made in Asia in particular.
AUTOMATION IS YOUR FUTURE • LESS LABOR • LESS DOWNTIME • 100% CLEAN Get Maximum Production For Less With Flexo Wash Today DON’T WAIT! flexowashus.com 888-493-5396 STILL CLEANING YOUR PLATES BY HAND? It’s time to improve your process with Flexo Wash and realize your return on investment today.
90
www.boardconvertingnews.com
April 8, 2024
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease