After “Exceeding Print” has guided us since 2021, we are now realigning our priorities. IMPACT defines a common direction to secure our success on the market for the next decade. We are thereby specifically addressing the growing importance of digital printing, software, AI and automation, as well as the momentum in the mid-tech markets. In this summary, we show you how we translate these findings into concrete action (I ACT) in order to actively shape the future of our industry.
The Intelligence of the Future: AI and Automation as the Driving Force
“Intelligence” is at the forefront of our strategic roadmap – and with good reason.
In the coming years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will fundamentally shape Koenig & Bauer and the entire industry. The convergence of machinery and intelligence represents the fastest-growing business segment in the industry.
When Koenig & Bauer speaks about AI, it is viewed in all its facets. It is obvious that AI will have a significant impact. The company’s ambition is to be at the forefront of this transformation. With the ‘AI Empower’ project, enormous progress has already been made and AI has been established within the company. The workforce is provided with state-of-the-art software tools: With Google Workspace and the integrated Gemini features, Google Cloud and BigQuery, with NotebookLM and specialised AI agents, the technical possibilities for using AI are already available across almost the entire Group – at the workplace, in the processes and also in the products.
The foundation: Data and IT
The AI tools used are only as good as the data they work with. That is why a state-of-the-art IT landscape is crucial. With the implementation of SAP S/4HANA at the largest site in Radebeul, Koenig & Bauer is taking a decisive step. Excellent data quality and stringent data management form the foundation for exploiting the full potential of AI. The interplay of pioneering AI tools, a modern IT infrastructure and the pronounced expertise of our employees continues to position Koenig & Bauer as an industry pioneer.
Hand in hand: Automation and robotics
“Intelligence” also means the fusion of digital intelligence with physical automation. Robotics and automation are set to transform the industry just as profoundly as artificial intelligence. Koenig & Bauer is continuously advancing the MAB platform and workflow solutions, demonstrating clients how automation paves the way to success. It is no longer solely about the machine as the physical “body,” but increasingly about the software acting as the “soul” of the system.
Security and interaction: More than just print
In a world with zero tolerance for errors and increasingly sophisticated product piracy, the market for authentication and quality assurance systems is experiencing rapid growth. Through the newly established Vision & Protection business unit, Koenig & Bauer offers innovative solutions that extend far beyond conventional security features: Ultimately, it is not just the intelligence embedded within the machine that is becoming the decisive purchasing criterion for providing seamless protection to brands and products.
Moreover, with AURAVEO, the digital tool from the likewise newly founded Kyana GmbH packaging is transformed into a vibrant, digital experience. The purpose of packaging is being entirely reimagined: No longer merely a protective casing for the product, it serves as a direct communication channel between the brand and the consumer. In real-time content such as assembly instructions or exclusive recipes can be displayed directly on a smartphone. This creates a dynamic storytelling platform to forge a direct connection with the customer. Tomorrow’s consumers expect more and Koenig & Bauer delivers the technological answers to these needs.
Our goal: Monetizing data
Merely selling highly developed presses is no longer enough. Koenig & Bauer is therefore actively driving forward the development of digital ecosystems. The ‘AI Empower’ initiative forms the internal foundation, while externally the goal is to increase the revenue share generated by digital products. The company is systematically transitioning from traditional machinery manufacturer to a comprehensive technology provider, delivering both hardware and AI-driven process optimization from a single source.
Focus on Growth: Successfully Scaling our Products
The “M” in IMPACT stands for our refined go-to-market approach.
This entails a steadfast focus on our existing product portfolio. Over the past decade, Koenig & Bauer has invested significant resources into developing new products and tapping into new markets – from the Rota-JET and VariJET to postpress, corrugated and flexo machines, right through to digital presses at MetalPrint and Kammann. Koenig & Bauer is now systematically advancing our innovation portfolio with pioneering solutions such as “protected at print” (product protection) and AURAVEO (a digital tool). Koenig & Bauer boast the broadest portfolio in the industry. The imperative now is to bring it to market rapidly and at scale. The market launch of these product families – meeting the highest standards of quality and performance – is our constant focus. In doing so, the approach is consistently customer-centric, as the customers‘ success forms the basis for our own business development.
New market realities and shifts in demand
Koenig & Bauer operates today in a market environment shaped by increasing volatility and geopolitical complexity. Trade restrictions and protectionist tendencies demand a significantly higher resilience of the global organisation.
Targeting growth markets
At the same time, a significant shift in global demand is to be observed: Global demand in packaging printing is increasingly shifting from West to East as well as to emerging markets. By 2033, Asia is expected to account for over 46 percent of the global market volume. India, Latin America and the Middle East, in particular, are driving this global development.
Consistently seizing opportunities in the mid-tech segment
These markets increasingly demand solid „mid-tech“ products where cost-effectiveness, productivity, and reliability are decisive. Koenig & Bauer is thus systematically expanding its addressable market in these cost-sensitive areas, without compromising its quality DNA.
Strategic alignment with industry trends
To proactively address structural challenges, Koenig & Bauer is aligning its go-to-market strategy with the key trends in the printing industry:
Regional shifts & mid-tech: Targeted market development through perfectly fitting solutions.
Intelligence & automation: Automation as a necessity to achieve efficiency increases and as an answer to the global shortage of skilled workers.
Digital printing: Industrial inkjet printing is recording dynamic growth and is developing into a substantial part of the market.
Resilience: High flexibility of supply chains and the global organisation as a decisive competitive factor.
Expertise as the Foundation for IMPACT
Only a company that continuously invests in knowledge building can sustainably inspire its customers.
Therefore, Koenig & Bauer places the highest priority on the targeted professional development of its workforce. Whether through an apprenticeship at the company’s own vocational training school, the Koenig & Bauer Academy, online training, leadership programs like ‘JUMP’, or the pioneering “AI Empower” initiative: the company empowers its employees to confidently master the technologies of tomorrow, today.
From “People” to “Pace”: Speed through collaboration
Technical expertise alone is not enough in a volatile world. In order to survive under demanding conditions, the Group is optimising its internal collaboration and streamlining its organisational structures. The “P” in the strategic framework therefore also stands for PACE (speed). The company is continuously improving its internal processes in order to be able to react more quickly and efficiently to global challenges, as time is a critical success factor in the international market environment.
Global strength, local responsibility
Worldwide, Koenig & Bauer boast an outstanding network of highly qualified engineers, service technicians, sales professionals, and experts. These local teams are the face of Koenig & Bauer in the respective markets, building indispensable trust in the company day by day through their pronounced customer proximity. The Group will continue to expand and strengthen its market presence, extending even beyond traditional sales and service functions.
Performance and partnership on equal footing with customers
The company keeps a firm eye on the needs of its customers, who face the same challenge worldwide: the shortage of qualified skilled workers. This is exactly where Koenig & Bauer comes in. To ensure that customers are successful in their markets in the long term, the company is investing in new training centres and continuing to roll out tailor-made development programmes for customers.
A culture focused on performance
Koenig & Bauer builds on a strong corporate culture that has grown over generations. In order to secure competitiveness in the long term, the “P” in the strategic framework consistently stands for PERFORMANCE. The focus is on the sustainable increase of productivity and profitability. Instead of merely increasing the workload, the company relies on a technology-supported, more intelligent way of working (“smart work”). Complex processes are deliberately streamlined in order to unleash the full innovation potential of the workforce. This transformation requires a willingness from the entire organisation to continuously place the highest demands on its own efficiency.
Adaptability – Our Answer to a Turbulent World
Geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and protectionist tendencies, as well as unstable supply chains are not a temporary phenomenon, but rather the reality of the global economy.
In this environment, adaptability is not a luxury; it is an insurance policy against a volatile global economy. Yet, for Koenig & Bauer, resilience means more than merely weathering crises – it is about achieving structural growth even under adverse conditions.
Degree of vertical integration as a strength and a challenge
Historically, the company has been characterised by a high degree of vertical integration. From our in-house foundry and parts manufacturing to lifelong service, everything comes from a single source at Koenig & Bauer. This expertise is a strong unique selling proposition. However, this depth also leaves us exposed to market fluctuations.
Breaking the cycle:
A truly resilient organisation must break this cycle. Koenig & Bauer is therefore transitioning to a model that ensures that the internal capacities are utilised efficiently and consistently – regardless of boom or recession. This stabilises the workforce, safeguards crucial expertise, and enables predictable investments. It is a strategically sound, well-considered path that has already successfully embarked upon with initiatives like the ‘Spotlight’ programme.
Strategic flexibility: Thinking globally, acting locally
Resilience also demands robust supply chains. Because every market – whether China, India, the US or Europe – presents its own unique requirements, Koenig & Bauer is customising its procurement, assembly, and service operations individually. Here too, flexibility is the greatest asset.
Recurring revenue as a financial anchor of stability
The service business, with a current revenue share of around 30 per cent, forms a robust foundation that effectively cushions the impact of cyclical fluctuations. In order to further increase the share of recurring revenue, Koenig & Bauer is focusing on providing more intensive support for our installed machine base, expanding our portfolio of consumables, and introducing new service products.
Resilience begins with every individual
Adaptability is ultimately a question of speed – in other words, “Pace”. It requires processes and structures that enable lightning-fast reactions to market changes. This resilience begins in the mindset of the entire workforce: the shared willingness to continuously evolve in order to secure the future of Koenig & Bauer.
Cost Excellence as the Foundation of Technological Leadership
All of Koenig & Bauer’s efforts and capabilities culminate in a common, overarching goal: sustainably increasing global competitiveness.
The „C“ in IMPACT makes it clear that technological leadership organisations today must demonstrate both operational and economic excellence. In light of a challenging market environment – characterised by enormous cost pressure, protectionist tendencies and intensifying competition – Koenig & Bauer is proactively securing its market position through systematic cost management.
Increasing efficiency along the value chain
To sustainably strengthen profitability, the company is driving forward cross-functional programmes along the entire value chain. The structured optimisation of manufacturing costs, the implementation of leaner assembly processes and a strategically aligned make-or-buy policy strengthen the profitability of the Group. The goal is to streamline internal processes while simultaneously continuing to maximise customer benefit.
Winning where the market is growing
In the established high-tech segment, where customers place maximum demands on technology and speed, Koenig & Bauer is world-class. However, to tap into additional growth potential and realise economies of scale through optimal capacity utilisation, the company is systematically expanding its strategic focus to include the rapidly growing mid-tech segment worldwide – especially in China, India, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
The perfect balance: Mid-tech by Koenig & Bauer
These markets rarely seek the most complex solution, but rather look for the perfect balance of cost-effectiveness, productivity and reliability. To grow in this space, Koenig & Bauer is systematically extending its portfolio into lower-tier segments. Product variants are being developed that are targeted exactly at these investment brackets:
No low-tech: This does not meet Koenig & Bauer‘s standards and does not represent a strategic competitive arena.
Focus on mid-tech: Solid, productive and high-quality machines for price-sensitive markets.
New avenues: Partnerships or alternative structures to operate successfully in this segment.
Technological Leadership and Pioneering Spirit
Technological leadership remains the core of Koenig & Bauer’s DNA. The “T” in IMPACT stands for the technology that wins over customers worldwide.
The appeal of quality seals such as “Made in Germany” or “Made in Europe” has rarely been rooted in offering the lowest price, but rather in premium quality. Koenig & Bauer’s true competitive edge has always lain in its engineering excellence and innovative strength. While the company is rigorously working on its cost efficiency today, its primary promise to the market remains steadfast: delivering technological superiority. Technological leadership is the decisive driver of the IMPACT strategic roadmap.
Digitalisation and software as the ‘soul’ of the machine
Value creation is increasingly shifting from hardware to software ecosystems. Koenig & Bauer is evolving from a traditional machinery manufacturer into a comprehensive technology provider. The future is digital and flexible. Open connectivity with third-party robots and MIS systems is becoming a crucial differentiator. With solutions like myKyana, digital interfaces are being created that make the operation of the equipment more efficient and transparent. The authentication and quality control systems within the Vision & Protection Business Unit are setting global standards in counterfeit protection and zero-defect production. In a world that demands absolute security, this intelligence embedded within the machine is becoming a decisive purchasing criterion.
Digital printing is on the rise
Digital printing is growing rapidly. By the mid-2030s, inkjet technology will account for nearly one-fifth of the total print market’s value. Koenig & Bauer is systematically expanding its offerings in this space, from the VariJET and RotaJET to the MetJET ONE and Kammann K4. At the same time, the market is witnessing a trend towards integrated hybrid systems that intelligently bridge the analogue and digital worlds. Continuing its path as a pioneer in industrial digital printing remains a central strategic pillar for Koenig & Bauer, which is systematically underpinned by continuously advancing the machinery to maximise its productivity.
A promise for 2030 and beyond
For Koenig & Bauer, technology is never an end in itself. Its fundamental purpose is to drive its customers’ success. The company never stops reimagining the possibilities. Whether it is hardware, software, or entirely new process solutions: Koenig & Bauer remains the industry’s driving force for innovation.
I ACT: the Mindset of Implementation
From plan to action: strategy translates into action
Hidden within the strategic acronym “IMPACT” lies a second, crucial message: “I ACT”. This serves as a personal guiding principle and translates strategy into action: proactively shaping change and placing entrepreneurial action at the centre at all levels.
Consistent realisation of potential
Market data, analyses, and goals remain purely theoretical unless they are embraced by every individual as a personal mandate. This goal-oriented action ranges from a willingness to embrace international collaboration in opening up Asian growth markets, to consistent digital upskilling in the field of software, right through to strict cost discipline.
Creating sustainable value together
IMPACT is a growth programme rooted in genuine market opportunities. The overarching goal is clearly defined: to generate sustainable value (“IMPACT”) together – for customers, shareholders, employees, and the entire printing and packaging industry.
Koenig & Bauer is not a static industrial company but a dynamic company. Movement is the binding principle of this Group: it is found in the cross-section of the precisely rotating printing cylinders of the machines just as it is in billions of flying ink droplets in digital printing and the target-accurate digital impulses.
For this reason, the sphere was chosen as the elementary form of the new strategic framework. A sphere is never static. It embodies the potential to roll, to absorb forces, and to carry the effect further. The sphere stands for movement – and that is exactly where “IMPACT” begins.
Real “IMPACT” only arises through acceleration, contact, and compression – technologically in the machine, strategically in the market, and entrepreneurially in the decision. Koenig & Bauer translates this principle into its new strategic framework:
Every decision sets something in motion.Every movement follows a clear direction.
And every direction generates measurable impact for the customers and for you, the shareholders.