Metsä Board and Heidelberg Druckmaschinen have entered into a strategic collaboration focused on developing advanced packaging solutions designed to improve production performance and enhance the consumer experience. The agreement will bring together the companies’ capabilities in lightweight paperboard materials, printing systems, and converting technologies through a series of joint activities that include research and development projects, pilot production runs, and customer demonstrations. These initiatives will be carried out at Heidelberg’s Print Media Centres as well as Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre and Design Studios. The companies said the partnership is intended to support Packaging Innovation across the packaging sector by combining material expertise with production technologies that address changing customer requirements.
Erja Hyrsky, senior vice president for Commercial Operations at Metsä Board, says: “Our collaboration with Heidelberg allows us to offer our customers new possibilities in packaging design and production efficiency, while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and premium quality.” She added: “Working closely with Heidelberg as a system integrator enables faster development and testing of solutions that support our customers’ evolving packaging needs.” According to Metsä Board, the cooperation is expected to improve productivity levels and create more efficient workflows throughout the packaging value chain by integrating Heidelberg’s offset, flexographic, digital printing, and converting technologies with Metsä Board’s premium lightweight paperboard portfolio.
Andreas Lang, senior vice president for Global Accounts and Packaging at Heidelberg, says: “By combining advanced printing and converting technologies with Metsä Board’s premium lightweight paperboard, Heidelberg enables high-performance packaging applications for demanding market and regulatory requirements.” He further stated: “The cooperation combines materials expertise and production technology for demanding packaging applications.” The companies indicated that the partnership is aimed at accelerating Packaging Innovation while helping customers respond more effectively to operational and regulatory demands.
Earlier in 2026, Metsä Board confirmed plans to open a Packaging Design Studio in Milan, Italy, by mid-2026 to strengthen collaboration with European brands, converters, and packaging developers. The company also recently introduced MetsäBoard Pro FBB Go, a folding boxboard developed for food and pharmaceutical packaging applications.