Latin America is increasingly coming into focus as a growth region for the printing and packaging industry, alongside markets in Asia. With a population of around 670 million, the region is home to approximately 8% of the world’s population, half of whom live in Mexico and Brazil alone — the two largest and most dynamic economies in the region. With projected GDP growth of around 2% and 3%, respectively, over the next few years, these countries are demonstrating stable economic development. Increasing prosperity, combined with a more urban lifestyle, is also driving up demand for printed packaging solutions. Growing consumer environmental awareness, government regulation, and industry initiatives are further fuelling the trend toward more sustainable packaging made from cardboard or paper. Market analyses for the printing industry confirm that printed packaging will continue to grow on average by just under 4% across all segments through 2029. Industries such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and e-commerce are driving demand for printed packaging and labels. This increases the requirements for highly automated, integrated, and efficient print production. Consequently, print shops and converters in the region are increasingly turning to automated solutions and integrated systems for the entire value chain, thereby driving up demand for these solutions. HEIDELBERG provides such systems as a total solution provider and system integrator, further supporting this development. The company is already the market leader in the region’s key countries, with a market share of well over 50 percent in sheetfed offset printing presses.
The Heidelberg booth on the first day of Expoprint & Converflexo Latin America 2026 in Sao Paulo.
“Latin America is a strategic growth region for Heidelberg, where we intend to further expand our already strong position. To this end, we will significantly strengthen our presence, particularly in Mexico and Brazil, and invest heavily in sales and service,” said Dr. David Schmedding, Executive Board Member for Technology & Sales “Demand for integrated production environments is rising and print shops are increasingly seeking comprehensive solutions from a single source. This is precisely where we come in as a system integrator with our end-to-end portfolio. Our goal is to support our customers along the entire value chain in packaging, label, and commercial printing, thereby further enhancing their competitiveness.”
Together with its subsidiary Gallus, Heidelberg offers an integrated portfolio for end-to-end production in packaging, label, and commercial printing. This includes offset, flexo, and digital printing systems, complemented by finishing, workflow software, consumables, and service. The company is represented in Brazil and Mexico with its own subsidiaries and over 200 sales and service employees, as well as through dealer organisations in other Latin American countries.
Taken together, Heidelberg supports its customers in the region with one of the industry’s most comprehensive sales and service networks, in which the company continues to invest as the market grows. This comprehensive expertise enables customers to streamline their production processes and respond flexibly to the demands of growing packaging markets.
By participating in Expoprint & Converflexo Latin America 2026 in Brazil and, in early May, at Expográfica in Mexico, Heidelberg underscores its role as a full-service provider and system integrator for printing technologies in the region. “Heidelberg’s presence at both events underscores the great importance of the entire region for us. We have also noted that interest in both trade shows is particularly high this time around from other Latin American markets as well. We therefore anticipate well over 60,000 visitors in total at our booths at Expoprint and Expografica in Brazil and Mexico. The events also coincide with a phase in which the Mercosur trade agreement with the EU is opening up additional opportunities for growth and international networking,” Schmedding concluded.
