Industry Reports
Quantifiable outlook of specific markets or trends as it pertains to the packaging and processing industry.
2025 Automation in Food and Beverage Equipment Sanitation
Automation in Food and Beverage Equipment Sanitation, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2025, examines barriers and pathways to automating sanitation based on a Vision 2030 session at PACK EXPO, a pre-event survey and roundtable discussions. The analysis indicates three focus areas—workforce readiness and training, collaborative hygienic design and documentation, and flexible automation with standardized specs—where emerging patterns show trade-offs between turnkey robotics and mobile, retrofit-friendly solutions. Findings tend to favor pilot approaches and benchmarking against peer implementations, with examples including conveyor-belt cleaners, single-tank CIP systems and mobile sanitation units; charts highlight adoption priorities and common obstacles. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
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2025 Knowledge Transfer for Machine Operators: From Paper to Digital Intelligence
Knowledge Transfer for Machine Operators: From Paper to Digital Intelligence, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2025, examines knowledge-transfer challenges and practical solutions informed by a pre-event survey, expert-panel Q&A, and roundtable discussions at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025. Focus areas include workforce development and retention, knowledge capture and documentation, and digital-tool adoption and access — covering verification of SOPs, centerlining of machine settings, and mobile-first knowledge bases. The analysis indicates organizations tend to favor operator-verified content and machine-sourced data; emerging patterns show QR codes, tailored videos, and AI-assisted search improve usability, and charts highlight comparative adoption trends and barriers. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
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2025 Beyond Manuals: Setting the Right Expectations for Operator Training on Modern Packaging Lines
Beyond Manuals: Setting the Right Expectations for Operator Training on Modern Packaging Lines, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2025, examines operator training challenges and solutions using insights from a pre-event survey and a PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025 session featuring panelists and roundtable discussions. The analysis indicates recurring focus areas—workforce development and retention, knowledge capture and documentation, and training design and delivery—grouping needs such as cross-training and intuitive equipment. Emerging patterns show preference for digital tools and accessible content, including short videos, QR-code access, and HMI translation features; charts highlight common obstacles and RFP-ready approaches. The report reveals where teams are prioritizing investments to elevate operator readiness and operational continuity.
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2025 Inside the Workforce Gap
2025 Inside the Workforce Gap, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in November 2025, examines how workforce shortages and undocumented skill loss disrupt plant-floor performance and what OEMs and end users plan to deploy in response. Drawing on June–July 2025 quantitative surveys of 136 respondents (separate End User and OEM samples) and July–August 2025 qualitative interviews, the analysis contrasts operator and technician pain points with OEM support readiness. Findings highlight gaps in onboarding and tribal knowledge transfer, growing appetite for machine-embedded HMIs, predictive maintenance, remote OEM support, short task-based videos, QR-linked documentation, and targeted automation for loading and changeovers. The report reveals which embedded tools, training formats, and machine design changes are most likely to close frontline skills gaps.
2025 Inside the Workforce Gap (PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, 2025) examines how workforce shortages and undocumented skill loss disrupt plant-floor performance and what OEMs and end users plan to deploy in response. Drawing on June–July 2025 quantitative surveys of 136 respondents (separate End User and OEM samples) and July–August 2025 qualitative interviews, the analysis contrasts operator and technician pain points with OEM support readiness. Findings highlight gaps in onboarding and tribal knowledge transfer, growing appetite for machine-embedded HMIs, predictive maintenance, remote OEM support, short task-based videos, QR-linked documentation, and targeted automation for loading and changeovers. The report reveals which embedded tools, training formats, and machine design changes are most likely to close frontline skills gaps.
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2025 The New Material World: Packaging’s Path Toward Sustainability
This report explores how packaging materials are evolving in response to shifting consumer demands, regulatory pressures, and sustainability goals. Drawing on insights from CPGs, OEMs, and suppliers, it examines trade-offs, material transitions, and the future of recyclable, reusable, and compostable solutions. The findings highlight emerging challenges, collaboration opportunities, and the critical role of packaging machinery in enabling a more sustainable future. Reflecting on our work for this topic from 2023 Packaging Compass, we aim to support and promote the dialogue on the ongoing industry conversation about balancing packaging’s core functions with the push toward sustainability and to measure what’s changed in this dynamic industry.
Be sure to check out our interactive dashboard, for insights into which materials CPG customers are currently using, as well as what they plan to phase out and replace in the coming years.
The New Material World: Packaging’s Path Toward Sustainability, a Compass Update, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how shifting regulations, cost pressures, and material-performance considerations are shaping packaging decisions across 2024–2025 . Drawing on survey and interview data compared with the 2023 Compass baseline, the report highlights how retailers and state mandates increasingly guide strategy, while charts and dashboards show rising emphasis on recyclable materials alongside slower movement in reusable and compostable formats. Emerging patterns indicate that trade-offs around cost, equipment compatibility, and product protection tend to influence adoption decisions, with OEM–CPG collaboration becoming more critical. The report reveals where material transitions are heading—and how industry players are preparing for the next five years.
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2025 Food Safety and Sanitation Trends: End User, OEM, and Supplier Perspectives
Food safety and sanitation are bedrock principles of the food and beverage manufacturing industries, shaping everything from manufacturing processes to machine design. Adhering to food safety regulations and effectively executing sanitation strategies are not mere considerations for manufacturers of food and beverage products - they are essential mandates enforced by government regulations. These practices also serve as vital strategies for protecting customers from allergens and foodborne illnesses and guarding brands against costly and reputation-damaging recalls.
Food Safety and Sanitation Trends 2025, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines how food and beverage manufacturers are adapting sanitation practices amid evolving regulations, labor pressures, and rising expectations for hygienic machine design. Drawing on industry surveys and interviews, the report outlines how end users tend to blend wet and dry cleaning approaches, expand CIP/COP use, and refine SSOPs while relying heavily on internal teams. It also highlights emerging patterns in machine selection, from the emphasis on stainless construction and chemical resistance to growing interest in digital monitoring and automated cleaning. Charts throughout the report show how these shifts influence purchasing plans and operational investments. The report reveals where manufacturers are prioritizing upgrades to strengthen long-term sanitation resilience.
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2025 The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers
This white paper discusses why standards are important to machinery builders, what core standards are relevant to packaging and processing, how to determine what standard(s) to follow, and what is currently happening with standards. It also includes a list of links to standards, documents, and resources that PMMI offers to its members.
2025 Performance Optimization: Insights for Packaging Line Readiness
Technology is playing a growing role in all aspects of industry. Used strategically and safely, it can provide the means to create ever more efficient production. This report demonstrates within each phase how this is achievable through effective vertical startups, user friendly intuitive equipment, accessible and engaging training materials, and delivering data-driven insights.
2025 Aftermarket Parts & Services
This report explores in greater detail how the aftermarket space is growing, what end users expect and need most from their aftermarket partners, what new technologies are emerging, and what actionable recommendations OEMs and their suppliers can consider to improve their aftermarket services.
2025 Beverage Industry Packaging Trends
This white paper provides the industry with insights into beverage packaging trends that will impact the packaging and processing industry.
2024 Data Acquisition, Sharing and Utilization
This white paper explores both the obstacles and benefits of integrating growing levels of digital connectivity and data utilization into manufacturing operations to enhance operational efficiency.
2024 Technology & Workforce: Using Smart Technologies to Bridge the Skills Gap
This white paper highlights how technology can help address issues such as labor shortages, high turnover, and the widening skills gap.
2024 Snack Foods Packaging Trends
This white paper provides the industry with insights and findings that explore the issues, latest industry developments, forecasts and trends guiding the investments in packaging and processing equipment and technology in the Snack Foods industry.
2024 Contract Packaging & Manufacturing: Drivers of Machinery Investments
Contract packaging (CP) and contract manufacturing (CM) have been steadily growing across consumer goods manufacturing segments. From food to pharmaceuticals, brand owners and large manufacturing organizations are turning to CP/CM partners to handle part or all of their production and packaging needs. While each industry has its own unique considerations, there are several commonalities that speak to all CP/CM organizations.
2024 The AI Advantage in Equipment: Boosting Performance and Bridging Skills Gap
AI is important for the packaging and processing industry and its potential is revealed as the range of possible solutions expands. Although AI is seen as a relatively new technology, machine learning has been present in a variety of forms for many years. It has now progressed far beyond a theoretical concept, with a host of practical applications of AI throughout the packaging industry.
2024 Transforming Packaging and Processing Operations
It is clear that data and technology is playing an increasingly important role across the industry, and there will also be a growing role for AI within packaging and processing. There are varying degrees of engagement with new technologies, with many participants expressing a desire to explore these further, utilizing them to address the skills gaps that continue to hamper the industry, and enhance their business operations.
2024 Craft Beer and Spirits: Success Through Packaging
This white paper covers the craft beer and spirits industries to help better understand the unmet packaging needs of craft producers and the future trajectory of the craft industry as a whole.
2024 Trends in Remote Services & Monitoring
Many end-users saw the benefits remote services can provide to their operations during the Covid-19 pandemic and have continued to request remote assistance from their suppliers. This whitepaper explores how end-users are choosing which remote services to use and which they are investing in for the future, what barriers are preventing end-users from adopting some remote services over others, and how remote services can address skills gaps in the workforce.
2023 Achieving Vertical Startups
The importance of communication, involving all relevant stakeholders early in the process, ownership of tasks, and robust planning all came out clearly as key factors in achieving successful vertical start-ups.
2023 Moving to Sustainable Packaging: Closing the Innovation Gap
Global sustainable packaging policies and swiftly changing domestic legislation are impacting the rate at which manufacturers need to change packaging materials and the discussions revealed clear movement towards more sustainable packaging and practices, such as reducing carbon footprints.
