Packaging is a fundamental concept for the attainability of safe and nutritious food as it diminishes the potential for food to become contaminated between processing and reaching the consumer. In addition to that, packaging is the art and technology of covering and protecting various products for distribution, storage, and usage. In addition to that, packaging refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. The important factor for the packaging is that it protects the product from harm, leakage, dust, pollution, contamination, etc. Various types of packaging machinery are used in the industry to pack various products. Packaging machinery is used throughout all packaging activities, including primary packages and distribution packs. This includes many packaging processes like filling, labeling, form-filling, sealing, wrapping, and palletizing. Packaging reduces spoilage and food waste by extending the shelf life of seasonal produce before the consumer can safely eat it.
The packaging division provides the materials, tools, services, and full-fledged solutions that are used for numerous consumer and industrial products globally. According to the report, based on machine type, the market is classified into filling, labeling, form-fill-seal, cartoning, palletizing, wrapping, bottling lines, and others, which includes inspection machines, etc. The form-fill-seal machine type is leading the market with a value market share of more than 42% followed by the filling machine. The future for the packaging machinery market continues to be robust. The packaging machinery market anticipates growth in major market segments such as pharmaceuticals, as well as food and beverages. Factors such as growth in the population, growing stipulation for automation and machinery optimization, as well as a rise in e-commerce are fueling these developments. According to the report, based on end-use, the market is segregated into beverages, food, chemicals, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and other segments. The food segment is leading the market with more than 33% of the value market share followed by the beverage segment.
According to the research report, "Global Packaging Machinery Market Outlook, 2027" published by Bonafide Research, the packaging machinery market is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 4.5% in 2022–2027. Packing machinery is important in any industry since it has the capability of influencing the cost of production of a given product in the business. The more efficient the packing machinery is the less cost of production is incurred and higher the number of sales made of that given product. According to the report, based on region, the packaging machinery market is segregated into five major regions i.e. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa. The Asia-pacific region is dominating the market with more than 40% value market share followed by Europe. The rising disposable income of consumers across various nations is among the key driving factors for the packaging machinery market. Also, the growing consumption of packaged food and the increasing demand for product packaging in small quantities would boost the demand for enhanced packaging machinery across the region. The Asia-Pacific region, led by China, is expected to account for a majority of new product sales by the end of the forecast period. This region's robust annual growth is aimed at the rapid gains expected from developing countries such as Indonesia, India, and Thailand.
Based on the country segmentation, China is estimated to lead the global packaging machinery market by holding more than 13% market share. According to the research, China is the second largest sales market for German packaging machines after the USA. The Chinese packaging machinery market relies on innovative technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence. Also, middle and high-end technologies such as 3D printing, video technology, and micro-SMD packaging are expected to attract more market players towards the Chinese market. The Chinese government has announced new laws regarding excessive packaging across the country, requiring all food and cosmetics manufacturers to follow the restrictions. The initiative aims to cut down on empty space and needless material usage in consumer packaging and also to apply sustainable packaging to various products. The adoption of new product standards and health and safety regulations is expected to boost the demand for new packaging materials and equipment.
On the other hand, North America is considered the world’s largest consumer of packaging. Also, the region is characterized by packaging giants such as International Paper, Tetrapak, Reynolds Group, Ball Corporation, and Ownes-Illinois. Growing demand for highly automated and integrated machines, coupled with favorable packaging and labeling regulations, is anticipated to propel the market's growth. Rising demand for cosmetics, increased sales of entertainment equipment, increased consumption of single-use packaging, an increase in good exports, and rapid urbanization would also drive market growth across the region. The Association for packaging and processing technologies (PMMI) present in the North America region represents more than 950 North American manufacturers and suppliers for packaging equipments and components. The packaging machinery market in North America is highly competitive and consists of numerous established key players who focus on expanding their geographical reach across the region. These key players are consistently innovating with their products and launching them to meet the demand, which is likely to support the growth of the North American market.
Further, the USA is one of the fastest growing packaging markets across the North American region and obtains second highest market share in global market. Historically, the United States has been among the early adopters of this technology and industry. Furthermore, the country has a strong export base of packaging machinery, which has actively contributed to the market's growth. Also, the current shift towards Industry 4.0 is further driving the adoption of technologies such as automation, AI, and IoT in the manufacturing sector. Robotics has also been penetrating the packaging machinery market across the country, which is expected to propel the higher market growth during the forecast period. Recently, the US government has announced several initiatives to strengthen the manufacturing sector that include over USD 300 billion in research and development and enhanced technology for the packaging machinery industry.
However, the high standard of living in Europe has increased the demand for packaged goods, including food, beverages, toiletries, and cosmetics, thereby boosting the market growth for packaging machinery across the region. Due to the need for packaging solutions in Europe for various products with different sizes and shapes, along with rising manufacturer focus on automation to enhance the overall performance, the market is anticipated to gain higher momentum during the forecast period. Also, automation in the packaging machinery industry that eliminates labor, generates less waste and improves productivity is becoming widely adopted. Mature markets such as Germany, France, and Italy are well equipped with advanced technological packaging machines. On the other hand, the European government has introduced regulations for packaging waste management and packaging waste prevention measures which regulate the type of packaging. All packaging placed on the European market has to comply with the essential requirements related to production, composition, and recoverable/reusable nature.
Traditionally, Germany produced nearly half of all the packaging machinery delivered to European countries. Nowadays, one in three packaging machines worldwide comes from Germany. Asia-Pacific and North America are the most important consumers of packaging technology made in Germany. Machine components made in Germany already rank among the most sustainable products currently available. Also, they excel in terms of lengthy useful lifetimes, and the manufacturers concentrate on eco-friendly energy consumption during the utilization phase. These manufacturers are also driving the new technology across the country. Despite the rising demand for packaging machine technology in developing countries, the United States continues to be the biggest single buyer of German packaging machines. In addition to that, over the last decade, Germany’s packaging machinery production has increased by more than 50% until the pandemic began.
As for the South America region, local and export markets have a high demand for packaging. This growing demand for packaging is being met with essential packaging machinery that helps speed up the packaging process. In South America, governments and consumers are majorly concentrated on the environment and are growingly interested in lighter, recyclable, and reusable packaging. Among these countries, Brazil is anticipated to lead the South America market by holding a larger portion of the market share. In Brazil, the packaging sector provides opportunities for the application of enhanced technologies as well as new types of materials that can improve the product’s lifespan. High growth rates across Brazil are estimated due to rising personal incomes, resulting in higher demand for a broad range of products, which, in turn, creates growth for the producers of such packaged products. The Brazilian packaging market is the fifth largest in the world, with the seventh largest economy in the world by nominal GDP.
As countries across the Middle East & Africa region grow their economies and aim to improve transport and distribution infrastructure with higher investments, more and more multinational brand owners are considering the potential for packaging production as their essential source. The region is driven by the large proportion of a wealthy population due to the relatively high gross domestic product per capita. In addition to that, the future of the packaging machinery market in the Middle East & Africa region identifies that various developing economies will emerge as the leading markets over the next few years. The penetration of many e-commerce platforms across the region, such as noon.com, is among several factors fuelling the overall market growth of the packaging machinery industry by 2027. In Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia has a huge consumer base engaged in a wide range of industrial activities that are boosting the demand for effective packaging machinery. In 2020, there were more than 200 industries reported that could take a lead in the packaging machinery market. Other developing countries, such as the UAE, South Africa, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Qatar, are expected to experience higher market growth during the forecast period. Although these countries are at an emerging phase for this technology, higher technological advancements and growing adoption of sustainable packaging machines are expected to fuel the overall market growth for the Middle East & Africa packaging machinery market by 2027.
The key market players profiled in the packaging machinery market report include KHS Group, Tetra Laval International S.A., Krones AG, Coesia S.P.A., Syntegon Technology GmbH, Herma GmbH, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, SIG Combibloc Group Limited, CKD Corporation, Fuji Machinery Co., Limited, The Adelphi Group of Companies, ProMach, Inc., Marchesini Group S.p.A., etc. The major players operating in the global packaging machinery market have adopted key strategies such as product launch and business expansion to strengthen their market outreach and sustain the stiff competition in the market. For instance, in August 2019, Syntegon Technology GmbH has developed a fully automated horizontal flow wrapper Pack 403 at Pack Expo 2019 in Las Vegas. It is designed with a Paloma pick-and-place robot for harsh environment use. Similarly, Robopac Ib?rica, a subsidiary of Aetna group S.p.A has built a plant in Vinaros (Castell?n) for the commercial and technical assistance activities to serve the strategic markets of Spain and Portugal.