Agfa and Hybrid Software collaborate on variable data digital folding carton production

      Agfa and Hybrid Software have announced a collaboration aimed at supporting variable data printing in digital folding carton production.     The agreement brings together Hybrid Software’s packaging design, prepress and smart digital front end workflow software with Agfa’s digital printing technology, including the SpeedSet Orca single-pass digital packaging press and Asanti …

Star Paper Mill Inks Milestone signs partnerships with Sweden & Austria at Make it in the Emirates 2026 in Abu Dhabi

        Star Paper Mill signed two international trade partnerships during Make it in the Emirates 2026 in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade. The agreements were signed with Austria-based Henzel Sales and Sweden-based Ekman & Co. AB to support the …

Frugalpac introduces high-speed paper bottle machine to scale sustainable packaging production

        UK-based sustainable packaging company Frugalpac has introduced a high-speed paper bottle manufacturing system aimed at scaling production of its paper-based bottles to meet rising global demand from beverage producers.     The machine—known as the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine (FBAM)—is designed to enable localised production of paper bottles within bottling plants, …

Canon Middle East Elevates Packaging Innovation Through Certified Consultant Program

    Canon Middle East is driving packaging innovation forward with its Canon Certified Printing Consultant (CCPC) program, which recently marked the graduation of its first cohort at a ceremony in Dubai. The year-long initiative, launched in 2024, is reshaping the role of print professionals by equipping them with the skills to deliver cutting-edge packaging …

Rotatek to install Universal 850 press at Mudrika as global reference site

    Rotatek, under the Vinsak Group, has confirmed the installation of its new Universal 850 hybrid press at Mudrika Labels’ Vasai facility in India. The move establishes Mudrika as the global reference site for the Universal 850 platform, with commissioning and application validation scheduled for completion by April 2026.     With an 850 …

DS Smith and Serele SupeR launch fibre-based tomato punnets to replace ten million plastic packages

    DS Smith has partnered with Romanian agricultural cooperative Serele SupeR to replace ten million single-use plastic packages with fibre-based corrugated cardboard solutions for fresh tomato products. The project was implemented following an assessment of existing plastic packaging formats and resulted in the development of four recyclable corrugated punnets designed for different cherry tomato …

DS Smith sets world record for sailing in corrugated cardboard boat

DS Smith has set a new world record for sailing in a corrugated cardboard boat during the biennial ‘Blue Ribbon of the Weser’ event in Minden, Germany. The record was achieved by a crew of twenty-three who successfully paddled a fibre-based, Catamaran-inspired boat over a 250-metre distance on the River Weser. The boat, measuring around …

KEZAD and Al Ghurair Foods drive UAE’s first corn starch plant to power paper and packaging growth

      Al Ghurair Foods has announced the phased completion of the UAE’s first corn starch plant at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), targeting full operational rollout by the first quarter of 2026. The plant is expected to play a critical role in supporting key downstream sectors including the paper and packaging industries. …

Star Paper Mills to begin trial production at $54 million recycled container board facility in KEZAD

    Star Paper Mills is set to begin trial production at its US$54 million recycled container board mill in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, with construction 95% complete. The announcement will be formally made during the ProPaper 2025 event, but the company confirmed operational activities are expected to commence before year-end.     The 135,000-tonne capacity …

DS Smith and BSH Nazarje replace EPS in Bosch blender packaging with fibre-based alternative

    DS Smith, has collaborated with BSH Nazarje, part of the BSH Home Appliances Group in Slovenia, to eliminate expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) from Bosch household blender packaging.     The new corrugated cardboard solution, branded as DS Smith Universal Protection for Household Blenders, replaces EPS inserts previously used in Bosch hand mixer packaging. …