AI, Automation, and Sustainability Lead Packaging and Processing Trends | RoboticsTomorrow

(Herndon, Virginia – Feb. 13, 2026) – Packaging and processing producers are investing in smarter equipment, automation, and sustainable solutions to deal with labor shortages, present chain challenges, and rising customer expectations.

At PACK EXPO East 2026 (Feb. 17-19, Pennsylvania Conference Center, Philadelphia), attendees will gape how synthetic intelligence (AI), automation, and flexible equipment are transferring from experimentation to day to day instruments that enhance efficiency, slash downtime, and aid long-duration of time development.

“Manufacturers are centered on constructing operations which could maybe per chance maybe be extra atmosphere friendly, resilient, and adaptable,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market pattern at PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Applied sciences. “The tendencies rising across packaging and processing replicate a clear industry precedence: doing extra with much less whereas conserving quality, safety, and sustainability.”

Top Packaging Trends

Synthetic Intelligence

AI is turning into a extraordinarily vital utility in each packaging and processing. It helps producers work extra successfully, slash equipment downtime, enhance product quality, and take care of labor challenges. In accordance to PMMI’s 2026 document, Constructing an AI Profit in Packaging Instruments, one of the largest advantages of AI come from the exercise of it to fragment information, predict maintenance wants, meet rules, and manufacture information more uncomplicated to be aware.

As a change of factual testing AI, extra companies are surely the exercise of it in day to day operations. AI is serving to optimize production lines, get concerns early, and aid better resolution-making, giving producers a bonus as operations turn out to be extra complex.

Sustainability

Sustainable packaging stays a serious focal level, with elevated ask for recyclable, compostable, and light-weight-weight solutions. Manufacturers are prioritizing packaging designs that aid round economy dreams whereas conserving shelf charm and product safety.

Automation and Robotics

Robotics and automation are rising snappily across packaging lines, serving to slash labor dependence and enhance throughput. Case packing, palletizing, and pick-and-dwelling capabilities are amongst the most in general adopted.

Versatile Packaging Development

Versatile packaging codecs, resembling pouches, float wraps, and stick packs, continue to bag market fragment as a result of their efficiency, convenience, and reduced field fabric utilization.

Modular and Fleet-Swap Packaging Instruments

Manufacturers are hunting for packaging programs that enable sooner changeovers, shorter production runs, and elevated SKU variability. Instruments flexibility is turning into fundamental for meeting market ask.

Trim Packaging and Traceability Instruments

Connected packaging solutions, along side QR codes and digital labeling, are serving to enhance traceability, compliance, and person engagement whereas supporting transparency initiatives.

Top Processing Trends

Food Safety and Hygienic Instruments Carry out

Processing equipment is extra and further being engineered with sanitation in mind, supporting stricter meals safety requirements and minimizing contamination risk by hygienic manufacture principles.

Digitalization and Industry 4.0 Integration

Connected processing equipment, information analytics, and actual-time monitoring instruments are being mature to enhance visibility into performance, efficiency, and qc.

Predictive Repairs and Instruments Reliability

Predictive maintenance applied sciences are serving to services slash unplanned downtime by identifying wear, vibration, and performance concerns sooner than failures happen.

Energy and Water Effectivity

Sustainability efforts are riding investments in processing programs that slash water exercise, optimize energy consumption, and aid company environmental dreams.

Gaining a Competitive Profit

“Firms that embody these tendencies are better ready to work extra successfully, meet rules, enhance product quality, and defend competitive as market requires continue to grow,” Izquierdo says.

Produced by PMMI, PACK EXPO East continues to abet as a key destination for packaging and processing experts hunting for the most neatly-liked equipment, offers, and information shaping the future of manufacturing. This one year’s pronounce highlights foremost tendencies accelerating across the industry, along side AI, automation, sustainability, digitalization, and equipment designed for elevated flexibility and efficiency.

With 500 exhibitors, overlaying 125,000 catch square feet of indicate location, PACK EXPO East brings solutions for extra than 40 vertical markets, along side meals and beverage, lifestyles sciences, cosmetics and non-public care, and industrial and family chemical substances.

PACK EXPO East aspects equipment that helps packaging and processing companies work sooner, safer, and further successfully. The pronounce highlights live demos of kit enjoy automated machines, robotics, and flexible programs which could maybe per chance maybe be more uncomplicated to trade over between products.

Attendees can gape good solutions designed to slash downtime, enhance quality, and aid new packaging styles and production wants.

Fresh for 2026, PACK EXPO East introduces the Containers and Materials Pavilion, designed to aid designate householders, equipment designers, and producers to find the most neatly-liked advances in paperboard, glass, steel, flexible, and resealable packaging.

To boot, the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, subsidized by the Reusable Packaging Association, offers attendees expert guidance on simplest practices for adopting and optimizing reusable packaging programs.

“PACK EXPO East has turn out to be an fundamental tournament for packaging and processing experts on the East Fly,” says Laura Thompson, vice president, exchange reveals, PMMI. “The 2026 pronounce brings collectively new aspects, good training, and unmatched derive admission to to suppliers and solutions, giving attendees a clear advantage as they conception for the one year forward.”

Education

PACK EXPO East 2026 offers a sturdy lineup of free academic programming, along side Industry Speaks and Innovation Stage sessions led by industry experts and exhibitors. These sessions deal with nicely timed matters resembling AI, automation, operational efficiency, 2D barcodes, meals safety, and sustainability, and present actionable insights attendees can observe true away.

Session highlights consist of:

AI and Automation in Labeling and Art work Administration: Are You Willing?

Offered by Bart Meersschaert, presales solution architect at Esko

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2:00 p.m.

Sustainable Packaging in Put collectively: The Superb, the Exhausting, and the Significant

Offered by Jessica Adkins, vice president, company accountability, safety & quality at Bonduelle Americas

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1:30 p.m.

Constructing an AI Profit in Processing and Packaging Operations

Offered by Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market pattern at PMMI

Thursday, Feb. 19,11:00 a.m.

The pronounce will feature two sessions on Morning time 2027.

Unlocking Morning time 2027: How Tech Companies Can Lead the 2D Revolution

Offered by Steven Keddie, senior director, Computerized Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) and SME lead at GS1 Global Office and Andrew Morehead, director of world standards at GS1 US

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 11:30 a.m.

Making ready for GS1 Morning time 2027: A Level of view on the Retail Industry’s Next Evolution

Offered by Clay Ryan, head of world enterprise pattern for Amazon Transparency

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m.

A Have to-Inspire Tournament for Industry Experts

From executives and engineers to designate managers and equipment designers, PACK EXPO East is the place resolution-makers come to judge solutions, trade tips, and pass tasks forward. With planning instruments enjoy My Present Planner, the PACK EXPO East Cell App, and visual category search, attendees can maximize their time on the pronounce floor and fasten with the stunning partners sooner.

For added information and to register, seek the advice of with www.packexpoeast.com.

About PMMI

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Applied sciences, represents extra than 1,100 producers and suppliers of kit, diagram, and offers moreover suppliers of linked equipment and services to the packaging and processing industry. We work to near a diversity of industries by connecting person items companies with manufacturing solutions by the realm-class PACK EXPO portfolio of exchange reveals, main exchange media, and a huge fluctuate of resources to empower our contributors. The PACK EXPO exchange reveals unite the realm of packaging and processing to near the industries they abet: PACK EXPO Global, PACK EXPO Las Vegas, PACK EXPO East, PACK EXPO Southeast, EXPO PACK México, and EXPO PACK Guadalajara. PMMI Media Neighborhood connects producers to the most neatly-liked solutions, tendencies and innovations in packaging and processing one year-round by producers along side Packaging World, ProFood World, Healthcare Packaging, OEM, Contract Manufacturing and Packaging, and Mundo EXPO PACK. PMMI Industry Drivers support contributors in pursuing operational excellence by group pattern initiatives, bring actionable enterprise intelligence on financial, market, and industry tendencies to aid contributors’ development solutions, and actively connect the provision chain all around the one year.

Study extra at pmmi.org and packexpo.com and pmmimediagroup.com.