2023 Predictions | 73built during the preceding months, when they bought whatever better help everyone navigate the coming recession. We look stock they could get their hands on. forward to a fast recovery and a bright future for the industry.As we head into 2023, we will begin to see a shift in Rahul Kapur, director, J K Labelsbrands’ mindsets. Brands will become more concerned about emptying the shelves rather than flling them, highlighting In 2022, We have seen a large number of new startup the need to drive demand generation and fghting fercely for companies in sectors such as food, beverage, personal care, etc. consumer attention. Many of the new products being launched today were unheard This will drive an increase in engaging consumers with of a decade ago.personalization, new designs and campaigns, and offering The biggest dissimilarity between the new startups from the same-day delivery. In turn, this will bring new opportunities age-old traditional businesses is the curiosity for learning.for the print industry, which must respond to this shift in The new generation frms are very keen on understanding all demand by being more effcient than ever before whilst battling the product options, applications and benefts. This makes it even challenges of labor and material shortages and increased power more important for us as label solution providers to be always and supply costs. updated.We will see label and packaging converters diversify into Client meetings, which used to revolve mainly around single pouches and shrink sleeves as they utilize narrow web press product price points, have refreshingly progressed towards new capabilities with a range of applications. Series 3 presses enable product offerings and brainstorming new ideas to enhance the label converters to produce high-quality pressure-sensitive, product brand value of the customer.in-mold, wet glue and wrap-around labels. Pressure-sensitive The winners of 2023 will need to be good at educating clients label converters utilizing a narrow web HP Indigo press can and keeping them always updated with new product offerings. jump-start their digital shrink sleeve journey by using the There is an immense opportunity for sticker label manufacturing premium white for shrink sleeves to cater to the needs of small companies today to create value by providing premium materials, brands, short runs, campaigns and more. This process is a good ft inks & security solutions.for producing shrink sleeves without investing in coating process Jimit Mital, president, Jetsci Globalequipment to achieve a low-friction surface.As we move into the new year, sustainability will continue to The pandemic served as both an accelerator as well as a disruptor remain top of the agenda for brands and print businesses alike, for the printing industry, and it was not easy to sail through 2022 which will move away from being just a trend to a requirement. due to shrinking proft margins and recurring pressure on logistics New technologies and concepts such as cloud computing, and supply chain. 2023 will also have its own set of challenges artifcial intelligence, the Internet of Things, augmented reality as increased interest rates, a strong dollar, infated oil prices, (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are slowly making their way into the hikes in prices for gas and energy due to the Ukraine-Russia war print industry, changing the way labels, packaging, commercial and economic slowdown in China have adversely impacted the and corrugated printers run their day-to-day businesses. economies across the globe which in turn impacted the industry In 2023, the print industry will continue to implement growth negatively all across, and ours is no exception. We export automation into its entire workfows, starting with investments our solutions globally and have observed the effect of infation in smart devices, such as HP Indigo and PageWide digital strongly. Despite all this, the scales are weighing heavily in favor presses, the integration of software with existing production of digital technology in the year 2023 and ahead. environments, increased digital effciency via advanced digital Growth in digital printing is inevitable and we, MSL-Jetsci tools, and leveraging the growth of e-commerce to automate Global, being one of the prominent industry players production end-to-end. manufacturing and delivering digital solutions for the labels and packaging industry, are geared up with our latest machines and presses based on innovative technology, ‘Made in India’ to Mike Rotenborn, chief executive ofcer, Hybrid transform the business and industry digitally in 2023. As it is said, Software GroupThe printing industry, especially labels and packaging, showed ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’. MSL- Jestci tremendous resilience during the pandemic, and we expect Global will turn the tide in its favor.this to continue during 2023, despite recessionary economies, high-interest rates, and rising energy costs. Strong businesses Mat Smith, operational manager, Kingfsher learn to adapt, and many printers and converters continue to Labels UKexecute process improvements initiated during the pandemic, If anything, the supply chain instability of 2022 only confrms the including: diffculty of predicting what the future holds. But as companies • Data-driven automation: smart factories driven by ERP systems, identify and commit to reducing the environmental impact of with fewer human touchpoints and reduced labor costs their operations, 2023 will see a continued focus on sustainable • Just-in-time production: digital printing reduces capital costs packaging. It’s worth investing in sustainable solutions and for raw materials and fnished goods inventory alternatives if companies currently use a large amount of plastic, • Software-as-a-service: centralization of job data and production as well as eco-conscious production methods. software in the cloud, with lower acquisition costs and minimal With stability expected to return to the supply chain in IT staffng 2023, customer requirements will demand that innovation All businesses must also operate sustainably. We’ve been and technological advances continue to add value and enhance carbon neutral for the past two years, but sustainability is more operational capability. Labeling businesses are constantly looking than that. For a business to operate sustainably, it must be for ways to be time-effcient and more productive, so service sustainable itself. For technology suppliers, that means steady, must remain adaptable and fexible. Investment is going to be proftable growth to allow engineers to deliver printing solutions central to that trend as well; the better technology a company that meet future needs. Our customers operate in a challenging has, the more it’ll satisfy its customers. environment and face price increases for everything from raw Visual branding is also going to consistently evolve in 2023. materials to energy and employee salaries. Thus, we’ve decided New packaging designs and techniques, including the use of not to increase our software or maintenance prices in 2023 to eye-catching colors, typographic scrawl prints and intriguing Jan - Mar 2023