Exploring opportunities and challenges: Industry suppliers event held at Bobst UK & Ireland

Drawing together representatives from across the supply chain and with Jo Stephenson of Think B2B Marketing setting the scene, the event centered on understanding shared opportunities, identifying roadblocks, and confronting challenges impacting suppliers today. 

Progress powered by partnership and technology 
Across all market segments, steady industry growth, estimated at 2–5%, is being driven by greater investment in automation and digitalisation. As labor shortages persist and skilled print professionals become harder to find, participants agreed that accelerating automation and de-skilling processes are essential steps for maintaining performance and scale. 

Alongside this shift, data is becoming a critical differentiator. Suppliers recognised that selling on price alone is not sustainable. Instead, businesses must harness data to demonstrate total value, showing how higher investments today can deliver lower long-term costs, faster production, and more reliable service. This is especially vital in a consolidating marke

Legislation and long-term planning 
Ongoing regulatory changes, including the Plastic Packaging Tax, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), continue to drive up compliance and admin pressure. During discussions, the group stressed that reacting late is no longer viable. Businesses must anticipate legislation years in advance to adapt processes, protect margins, and stay ahead. 

Political uncertainty and raw material price volatility, particularly in paper and steel, are also making long-term planning more complex, slowing investment and increasing pressure on suppliers. Financing remains a particular challenge for digital presses, which lack a second-hand market and face short funding windows compared to flexo. 

Shifting mindsets, not just machinery 
Crucially, discussions reinforced the urgent need for a shift in mindset. Selling practices must adapt to reflect consolidation and commoditisation, and suppliers must collaborate more proactively, moving beyond transactions to true partnerships that unlock value for customers. 

The group also acknowledged long-standing talent gaps and cultural inertia. Many businesses are still struggling to replace experienced staff, and younger recruits often lack the required training. This makes shared investment in training, knowledge transfer, and future-ready technology even more important. 

A shared agenda for moving forward 
The consensus was clear that the packaging sector cannot thrive on short-term savings alone. Working together, using data to prove value, planning for legislative shifts, and embracing automation will be key to building a more resilient, future-ready packaging industry. 

The Bobst Redditch event underlined that while challenges remain, collaboration, smart investment, and bold thinking are what will drive the industry forward. 
 

BOBST