The world market for packaging machines has been stagnating over the last three years. The most important global players continue to come from such countries as Germany, the United States, Italy and Japan. In value, these four nations produce some 70 percent of all packaging machines.

            In 2004, Germany succeeded in replacing the United States as the number one country in producing packaging machines and systems. However, while the United States with an export rate of 18 percent mostly produce for their domestic market, Germany exports the lion’s share of its production, about 76 percent. The third position of the ranking is held by Italy, with a volume of 3 billion euro and an export share of 80 percent. Rank 4 is occupied by Japan with a volume of 2.7 billion euro and an export share of merely 7 percent. The import share for this country, amounting to 4 percent, is also small, which justifies the Bosch strategy of establishing our own production sites in Japan.

            China continues its forward development with an above average production growth of 10 percent and a volume of 1.1 billion euro. The Chinese export rate increased by 13 percent to now 16 percent. China is well on the way to becoming one of the major producers of packaging machines.

Convenience trend

            The packaging market is strongly impacted by the so-called convenience trend. The cause and effect of the trend on packages and packaging machines varies greatly and requires a great amount of imagination as to future requirements.

            The reason for the trend can be found, among others, in the different life styles and the changing demographic consumer structures...

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