years. But the pace of change now is unprecedented. As the industry heads toward 2026, packaging is no longer defined solely by print quality, materials, or production speed. Instead, value is increasingly determined by how intelligent, interconnected, and sustainable packaging systems are.
According to ESCO’s 2026 Packaging Trends study, three interconnected forces are reshaping the global packaging landscape: AI-driven workflows, smart packaging enabled by digital identities, and holistic sustainability intelligence. Together, these factors point to a fundamental shift in how packaging is designed, produced, and managed, a shift that printing and converting companies in the Middle East cannot afford to ignore.
From automation to self-optimizing workflows
Automation has long played a role in packaging production, but its function is rapidly changing. Traditional automation relied on predefined rules and extensive human intervention. The next phase relies on agent-based artificial intelligence, where systems can evaluate objectives, plan actions, learn from results, and continuously improve workflows.
For packaging operations, this represents a shift from reactive processes to self-optimizing workflows. Tasks such as artwork editing, compliance checks, pre-press validation, and workflow guidance can now be handled intelligently, reducing errors, shortening delivery times, and easing the burden on skilled labor.
This development is particularly important in markets where switchers face increasing operational complexity, a growing number of storage units, multilingual packaging requirements, and more precise delivery forecasts. Agent-driven AI helps aggregate enterprise knowledge within systems, ensuring consistency and scalability while allowing human expertise to focus on higher-value decisions.
