In a world market that has recorded growth in packaging machines standing at +3.8% CAGR for 2022-2026, and a value estimated to reach USD 59,104 million, the Italian market lead the market with a 16.8% share and market value of EUR 8.5 billion, followed by Germany with € 7.3 million, and the USA with € 6.7 billion. It is a high-performance market where exports account for € 6.57 billion (a growth of 1.7 % for the 21-22 period), in which customers are spread across the food and beverage industry, which covers 56.7% of the food market, and at 43.3% are in non-food, including 16.7% specifically linked to pharmaceutical packaging (up by 1.1%).

The pharmaceutical industry, which sees Italy and Germany top ranking rivals in the production of pharmaceuticals and its various sectors, revealed a market value of € 1.4 billion in the packaging machinery segment in 2022, where primary packaging excels with 51.2% of the market, followed by secondary at 18.4%, labelling at 7.5% and end-of-line at 6.7%. Overall, it is a thriving and constantly expanding market in which Italy is forecast to grow by 3.2% by 2026. It is a key player in a global market with a total value of € 6.6 billion, which is expected to increase by +2.9% and in which North America will be leading with increases of +4.5%, followed by Asia at +2.7, and the EU at +2.4%.

Looking at the specific segments, it is interesting to note that secondary packaging recorded an increase of 31.6% during 2021-2022, followed by end-of-line at 17.3%. These are two areas where the pharmaceuticals industry – which is strongly associated with rigorous technical criteria for primary packaging in direct contact with the product – can develop sustainability projects linked to reducing material, increasing use of recycled materials, curbing weights, and optimising processes.

All of which are strategies that do not impact critical production aspects linked to drug stability, dosage accuracy, formulations, and compliance with national and European legal requirements. In fact, the integrity of the product - for the pharmaceutical industry even more than in other industries - is crucial for the effectiveness of treatment and administration, which are both mission critical factors that prevail over the environmental impact of the product.

Despite the many regulatory constraints, however, there are numerous pharmaceutical companies looking for recycled paper and plastic solutions for components that are not in contact with the product, while proposals for digital information leaflets aim to ensure a significant reduction in the use of paper in pharmaceutical packaging.

Data provided by the Mecs Study Centre

For further information: info@mecs.org