SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 15, 2025 – Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) and Solenis are redefining the future of sustainable packaging with a newly developed inline process that applies functional barrier coatings directly within the flexographic printing workflow. The innovation, integrated into HEIDELBERG’s high-volume Boardmaster system, aims to make paper-based flexible packaging a viable and economical alternative to plastic — accelerating the “paperization” trend across the global packaging industry.
Driving Sustainability Through Technological Integration
The collaboration between HEIDELBERG and Solenis addresses one of the central challenges in achieving a circular economy: creating fiber-based packaging that provides reliable barriers against water, vapor, oils, fats, and temperature variations — without compromising recyclability. By integrating Solenis’ advanced coating technology into HEIDELBERG’s flexographic web printing process, producers can now apply barrier coatings only where needed, reducing both material use and production costs.
This inline process enables large-scale, cost-effective conversion of packaging lines to sustainable substrates while maintaining high throughput. As a result, packaging manufacturers can transition more rapidly from multilayer plastic films to recyclable paper-based formats for food, beverage, cosmetics, and non-food products.
Paperization as a Market Transformation Trend
Recent research from the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Heilbronn (DHBW) and HEIDELBERG highlights a structural industry shift. The study forecasts a 4.5% annual growth rate for flexible paper packaging through the decade — a momentum driven by regulatory pressures, consumer awareness, and material innovation.
According to study lead Prof. Dr. Carsten Kortum, “This is not a short-term trend, but a profound change driven by new legal requirements, increased environmental awareness in conjunction with changing consumer behavior, and technological innovations.”
Industrial-Scale Innovation for Real-World Adoption
By embedding Solenis’ coating technology into the Boardmaster printing line, HEIDELBERG has created a turnkey system that allows packaging converters to integrate barrier coating directly into their production workflow. This means no separate coating or lamination stage, translating into lower capital investment, reduced energy use, and faster time-to-market for sustainable packaging lines.
Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, emphasized the company’s long-term strategic vision:
“Economic innovations are crucial if we are to replace plastic packaging with recyclable or compostable paper packaging. By collaborating with Solenis to develop coatings and inks and produce coated paper packaging inline, HEIDELBERG is reinforcing its claim to be a strong driving force behind paperization. We are thus acting as a full-service provider of end-to-end solutions in the growth market of mass production of fiber-based packaging solutions.”
Fachpack 2025: Demonstrating Sustainable Innovation in Action
HEIDELBERG and Solenis will jointly showcase the process at Fachpack 2025, held September 23–25 in Nuremberg, at Booth 4A-342 in Hall 4. Visitors can observe the technology’s results through take-home coated samples and engage directly with technical experts to discuss industrial deployment and scalability. The presentation highlights how inline coating integration enables a closed-loop production model, aligning with both EU circular economy directives and brand sustainability targets.
Strategic Outlook and Market Implications
This collaboration positions HEIDELBERG as a key enabler of sustainable high-volume packaging — leveraging its precision engineering and digital automation expertise to address a fast-growing market segment. The innovation also expands the application range of the Boardmaster system, strengthening HEIDELBERG’s footprint in fiber-based and flexible packaging.
As consumer brands and packaging converters pivot toward eco-conscious materials and low-carbon operations, HEIDELBERG’s end-to-end process technology offers a clear route toward compliant, scalable, and profitable sustainability.
Learn more at www.heidelberg.com.