SHERIDAN, WYOMING – May 27, 2025 – Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) has launched its 2025/26 financial year with exceptional results, driven by its standout performance at China Print 2025 in Beijing. The company’s strategic emphasis on packaging and digital printing proved highly effective, resulting in the sale of nearly 350 printing units—well above expectations—and setting a solid course for continued growth in the Asian market.
Strong Demand Underscores HEIDELBERG’s Market Leadership
Attracting around 120,000 attendees and over 1.3 million online viewers, China Print reaffirmed its status as the region’s premier print industry event. HEIDELBERG recorded the highest visitor numbers at the show, where customers from across Asia expressed robust interest in the company’s end-to-end printing solutions.
Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, remarked, “The huge interest in the innovations and displays at our booth provides impressive proof that HEIDELBERG is a leading market player in China. We won over a large number of customers with our integrated solutions for packaging and commercial printing from a single source, many of which are manufactured locally.”
Packaging Printing Spurs Expansion Across China
With paper-based packaging in China growing at approximately 4% annually, the sector now makes up nearly half of the national print market. HEIDELBERG is capitalizing on this upward trajectory with significant orders from key regional customers:
- A major northern Chinese packaging printer ordered two Speedmaster XL 106 presses totaling 13 units.
- An eastern China firm purchased two Speedmaster XL 75 presses (19 units), supplementing 2024 investments in XL 106 and XL 75 with FoilStar.
- A southern Chinese company added two long Speedmaster CX 104 UV presses, aiming to expand into premium packaging for spirits and cosmetics.
“Packaging printing is proving to be a growth driver for our business in China, too,” noted Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG. “This development reaffirms our growth strategy – the continuous and targeted expansion of our portfolio as a systems integrator for this key market segment.”
Jetfire 50 Digital System Makes its Asian Debut
HEIDELBERG also introduced the Jetfire 50 industrial inkjet system at an Asian trade show for the first time, marking a pivotal milestone in the company’s digital journey. The printer, integrated with the AI-powered Prinect Touch Free software, offers hybrid offset-digital workflow capabilities and positions HEIDELBERG at the forefront of smart, automated print production.
Shengda Printing Technology, China’s largest web-to-print provider with €375 million in annual sales, became the first Jetfire 50 user in the country. The company’s commitment to digital transformation underscores the increasing relevance of data-driven print solutions in the Chinese market.
Digitalization and Hybrid Production at the Core of HEIDELBERG’s Showcase
On over 2,000 square meters of exhibition space, HEIDELBERG demonstrated how hybrid production models and automation are reshaping print shop economics. Attendees experienced:
- A fully interactive customer journey with 100+ digital touchpoints
- The Digitalization Experience Center and a wide-ranging application gallery
- Integration of offset and digital technologies to maximize ROI and throughput
Jürgen Otto summarized: “The Chinese market is driving innovation in the printing sector and China Print has shown that this country’s printing industry is also following global trends, investing more and more in highly automated, efficient, and fully integrated solutions. Added to that is rising demand from end customers for more sustainable, paper-based packaging. All this makes the digitalized solutions from HEIDELBERG especially attractive for this important market.”
Strategic Outlook Anchored in Localization and Innovation
HEIDELBERG’s success at China Print confirms its strategy of combining global expertise with local production and service capabilities. By aligning its offerings with the evolving needs of the Asian print and packaging sectors, the company is not only driving orders but also reinforcing its long-term position in one of the world's most dynamic print markets.
Learn more at www.heidelberg.com.