Asepto’s new Ain Sokhna facility gives UFlex a second aseptic packaging manufacturing base, adding 12 billion packs of annual capacity and placing production closer to customers across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Packaging MEA toured the greenfield plant ahead of commercial operations, examining an investment centred on high-speed production, automated material flow, digital quality control and a more responsive regional supply chain. Reports Usha Benjamin, Managing Editor, Packaging MEA reports.
At Ain Sokhna on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, UFlex is preparing a significant addition to its international manufacturing footprint. Its aseptic liquid packaging business, Asepto, expects the new greenfield facility to begin commercial operations by the end of 2026.
The US$126 million investment is Asepto’s second manufacturing base and will provide annual capacity of 12 billion packs.
Combined with its existing Indian operation, it will take installed aseptic packaging capacity to 24 billion packs a year. Around US$108 million had been invested in the Egyptian project by June 2026. For a business that entered aseptic packaging in 2017, the expansion is substantial. Asepto’s Indian operation has annual capacity of 12 billion packs, while the company now exports to more than 50 countries and serves over 250 customers. Around 35-40% of its Indian production is exported.
The 30-acre Ain Sokhna site introduces another factor into that proposition: proximity.
“We chose Egypt because it is a very strategic location,” Ashwani Sharma, President and CEO, Asepto, told PackagingMEA. “It gives us proximity to Europe, the entire Middle East and, of course, Africa. It also opens markets for us in Latin America and the US.”
Sharma said shipments from Egypt could reach the GCC within days, while European and African markets are also accessible within comparatively short sailing times. North and Latin America can be served in around 30 days. Egypt’s trade agreements provide an additional commercial consideration as Asepto assesses landed costs and market access.
The plant is intended to complement rather than replace its Indian manufacturing network. Once the Egyptian operation reaches maturity, Sharma expects approximately 25-30% of its capacity to serve Egypt, with the balance largely destined for export.
Inside the production floor
The factory tour provides a clearer view of where much of the investment has gone. Asepto has selected a high-output configuration intended to minimise production interruptions and reduce material losses during job changes. At the centre of the printing operation are two 12-colour Heidelberg Boardmaster flexographic presses. Each has a web width of 1,650mm and can operate at speeds of up to 600 metres per minute.
Of particular operational significance is their zero-changeover downtime configuration.
In conventional production, a press may need to stop while plates and other components are replaced before the next job begins. Sharma estimates such changes can typically consume between 45 minutes and an hour. Across a high-volume operation, repeated stoppages have implications for both productive time and material consumption The Boardmaster lines incorporate automatic wash-up, automatic colour changes and anilox sleeve changes during production. Heidelberg’s Intellimatch contactless offline sleeve and plate scanning technology has also been installed to measure printing-plate topography, supporting repeatability while reducing preparation time and material use.
Beyond printing, the facility includes an SML extrusion line and IMS high-speed slitters. Automation extends into finishing and downstream handling, with CSI Madern of the Netherlands supporting packaging automation, palletising and material-handling systems.
Reels are barcoded and QR-coded, enabling their movement through the factory to be tracked through to pallets and customer orders. The arrangement brings material identification and traceability into the wider production system while reducing manual intervention.
Bringing laboratory data closer to production
Quality control is another area where Asepto has invested in connected technology.
The facility has L&W laboratory testing instruments from ABB alongside the L&W Lab Management System. Measurements from connected equipment can be captured automatically and converted into dashboards and real-time reports.
For an operation producing high-barrier structures for sensitive liquid products, rapid visibility of deviations is important.
Connecting laboratory measurements more closely with process information gives operators a clearer view of production performance and consistency across batches. The broader objective is to connect printing, extrusion, slitting, laboratory control, finishing, palletising and material movement rather than treat them as isolated production functions.
Building capability locally
Advanced machinery still depends upon people able to operate, maintain and optimise it. UFlex is consequently pairing its technology investment with a skills-transfer programme.
Experienced technical personnel from India are being deployed to train local teams, with operational responsibility expected to transfer progressively to Egyptian employees.
Asepto is targeting approximately 30% capacity utilisation during the first full year of commercial production, rising to around 70% in the second year and full 12-billion-pack output in the third.
The phased ramp-up should provide time to establish operating routines and develop local technical capability as customer volumes increase.
For Egyptian customers, proximity offers a more immediate benefit. Sharma said material from Ain Sokhna could reach customers within Egypt in three to four hours.
“Customers need quick service and impeccable quality,” he said. “We are here in Egypt with infrastructure across people, technology and inputs. I think we have a tremendous solution for customers.”
Capacity with an international brief
Asepto estimates worldwide aseptic packaging demand at approximately 300 billion packs annually, led substantially by dairy, juice and beverage applications. Against that background, Ain Sokhna is more than a capacity addition. For customers across MENA and Africa, a manufacturing base in the region could affect lead times, inventory planning and supply options.
The company is also pursuing technologies aimed at improving material recovery. Its Enzymatic Delamination Technology, or EDT, is designed to separate paper fibre, aluminium and polymers from used aseptic cartons.
During the interview, Sharma said recovered pulp can return to paper applications, while Asepto has progressed work on converting residual aluminium-polymer material back into resin for potential use within flexible packaging structures.
His argument is that scale alone is not an adequate measure of progress.
“It’s not about how many billion packs you’re producing,” Sharma said. “What is important is how responsibly you are doing it. The idea is that whatever components we use in aseptic packaging can be put back into circularity.”
Asepto is also examining recycled materials, alternative fibre-based structures and further recovery technologies. Sharma expects future development to come from both packaging materials and filling equipment, including smart packaging, dynamic QR codes and alternative barrier structures.
For UFlex, however, the immediate task is commissioning Ain Sokhna and progressing towards commercial production. Thereafter, the measure of the investment will be how effectively Asepto builds utilisation towards its planned 12-billion-pack annual capacity.The commercial proposition behind the new factory is straightforward: manufacture closer to important markets while using automation, production data, logistics and local capability to improve responsiveness. For the Middle East and Africa packaging sector, Ain Sokhna adds substantial new aseptic capacity within the region. Its longer-term significance will ultimately be determined not by the scale of the investment alone, but by delivery performance, quality, cost competitiveness and Asepto’s ability to convert geographic proximity into sustained customer value.
Interview with Ashwani Sharma, President and CEO, Asepto
With Asepto preparing its Ain Sokhna facility for commercial production, PackagingMEA Chief Editor Ben Daniel spoke with Ashwani Sharma, President and CEO, Asepto, about competing in an established aseptic packaging market, the company’s approach to circularity and the technologies he expects to influence the sector over the next five years.
Ben Daniel: Asepto entered aseptic packaging only in 2017. In a market with several established global suppliers, what has helped you gain ground?
Ashwani Sharma: When we entered, we asked ourselves how we could be different from what was already available. We looked first at the pack itself. Most aseptic packs had similar characteristics, with differentiation largely coming through format, size and artwork. We introduced holographic packaging and foil stamping because we saw an opportunity to give brands something different on shelf. But packaging material alone isn’t enough. We also entered aseptic filling-machine manufacturing and developed a field-service engineering network.
We can supply the packaging material, service the machines and undertake annual maintenance. Bringing together packaging innovation, filling technology and technical support has been important in building customer confidence.
Ben: So is the filling machine as important as the carton when you talk about differentiation?
Ashwani: Absolutely. You cannot look at them separately. We have focused on the packaging side, but also on the technology required to run it efficiently. Customers are looking for productivity and dependable technical support, not simply packaging material.
Our experience within UFlex in machine manufacturing gave us a base from which to develop that capability.
Ben: Sustainability was a major theme during our discussions at the plant. What does circularity mean for Asepto in practical terms?
Ashwani: It’s not about how many billion packs you’re producing. What matters is how responsibly you are doing it. We have invested considerable resources, time and energy into this area because we are building the business for the long term.
One development is our Enzymatic Delamination Technology. It enables us to separate the layers of the aseptic laminate and recover the pulp fibre. That fibre can go to paper mills, be made into paper and come back into other packaging applications.
We have also worked on the residual aluminium-polymer fraction. We can now convert poly-alu back into resin, which could potentially be used as a middle layer within a flexible packaging laminate. The objective is to find useful routes back into circulation for the different components of the pack.
Ben: Where do you see the biggest changes in aseptic packaging over the next five years?
Ashwani: I think several developments will happen together. Smart packaging will become more important, including track-and-trace functionality and dynamic QR codes. At the same time, sustainability will drive changes in materials and barrier structures.
The industry is already discussing aluminium-free structures. There are possibilities such as replacing aluminium with film or metallising aluminium onto paperboard while creating the barrier performance the product requires. Packaging material and machine technology will have to progress side by side.
Ben: Do you also expect the functionality of the carton itself to change?
Ashwani: Yes. There are interesting possibilities beyond materials. What if you could create a window in an aseptic pack so consumers could see the product? For juice, they might see the pulp. In medical applications, perhaps a window could help indicate dosage.
These things aren’t established in the industry today, but they illustrate where innovation could go. We are also continuing to work on aesthetics following holographic packaging and foil stamping.
Ben: What should brand owners expect from the next generation of aseptic packaging?
Ashwani: Greater interaction between materials, machines, functionality and digital technology. Sustainability will be a major driver, but innovation still has to deliver the required barrier, sealing and production performance. That is why these developments cannot happen independently.
For me, the next five years are going to be extremely exciting.