AI and environmental sustainability dominated the discussion at the annual European Label Forum. On behalf of FINAT, James Quirk reports.
The FINAT European Label Forum 2025 welcomed 240 delegates from 26 countries to Amsterdam for two days of high-level conference sessions discussing key industry topics such as environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, and technological innovation.
A table-top exhibition running alongside the conference featured 32 leading industry suppliers, including gold sponsors Avery Dennison, Beontag, Labelexpo/Labels & Labeling, Mark Andy, and UPM Raflatac.
Geopolitical tensions
The keynote speaker, returning by popular demand following his excellent presentation at the ELF in Vienna in 2023, was Ron Keller, former Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and China, former Director at the Eastern Europe Bank (EBRD) and a top advisor to the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and to the Dutch Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs.
“Two years ago, we were all still shellshocked by the war in Ukraine. But the geopolitical situation has become even more complex,” he said.
These geopolitical tensions are negative for the global economy, and expose Europe’s lack of strategic autonomy in areas such as defence and energy.
“The EU focuses on economic cooperation but without any further political deepening. Its lack of internal reform has made us lag the US economically and in innovation.”
Yet despite these challenges, Keller described himself as “optimistic”. “The EU has begun to wake up. We were much too passive over the past 35 years. We realise we need to enhance not only our competitiveness, but also that we must reform.”
European label trends
FINAT managing director Jules Lejeune looked at the European label business landscape in 2024 and 2025. Following the supply chain disruption in 2022 and destocking of materials in 2023, the first two quarters of 2024 had seen accelerated growth, but this slowed in the second half of the year due to the sluggish economy.
“In spite of that, 2024 volumes were at the level of 2016 – a significant improvement because in 2023 we were still at the 2013 level,” he said. “We also see a lot of structural change in the composition of labelstock demand.
“White coated raw materials declined in share, but remain the largest category. Direct thermal is on the rise because of e-commerce and personalisation. PP rolls have significantly increased their share of the total market.”
Corey Reardon, CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, outlined label industry trends in Europe. The global label market, across all formats, uses around 74 billion sqm of material annually; 48% is produced in Asia-Pacific, 22% in Europe and 18% in North America. By format, 39% of the total market is self-adhesive, 35% is glue-applied, and 20% is shrink sleeve labelling.
Structural shifts are underway, said Reardon, with flexible packaging and linerless label applications on the rise, and growing interest in RFID and direct-to-container print. M&A activity has slowed, meanwhile, likely due to interest rates and the economic environment. “There is still lots of consolidation to come,” he said.
Linda Lichtmess, strategic market analyst, Food & Drinks at Euromonitor, discussed global consumer trends for 2025, emphasizing healthier lifestyles, strategic spending, and sustainability. Consumers are prioritising long-term value over immediate savings, focusing on product quality and durability.
Sustainability
Paul Jenkins, founder and MD of The PackHub, a UK-based packaging innovation consultancy, discussed the shift towards sustainability in packaging, emphasising the need for innovation to address environmental concerns.
He highlighted The PackHub’s Innovation Zone, which updates weekly with 33 new packaging innovations, and the Patent Zone, focusing on significant patents.
“Just about every innovation we track in the Innovation Zone and Patent Zone is related to sustainability,” he said. “So it’s an unquestionable reality that sustainability drives innovation, and it’s a big opportunity.”
Jenkins then formed part of a panel discussion, moderated by Bert van Loon, alongside Gabriela Neves of All4Labels, Christophe Beke of Asteria Group, and Arno Melchior of Reckitt, which looked at the future of the label and packaging industry.
An extended focus on sustainability kicked off with an expert panel, moderated by Bert van Loon, discussing “Adapting to the new reality of PPWR”, which featured FINAT’s Pablo Englebienne, Francesca Stevens of Europen (tuning in online), senior consultant Jan ‘t Hart, Marius Tent of CELAB Europe, and Jean-Emile Potaufeux of PRE/Recyclass.
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets strict recyclability, reuse, and recycled content targets by 2030. The panel emphasised the urgency of these targets and the importance of acting now to avoid being overwhelmed by the challenges of PPWR compliance in the future.
Thomas Reiner, CEO of Berndt & Partner Group, identified environmental issues, regulation, digital transformation and workforce challenges as the four disruptive forces that are reshaping the industry. PPWR and global EPR regulations demand radical packaging redesign: the industry must focus on recyclability, material reduction, mono materials, and PCR use or risk market exclusion.
“Labels will still be needed in the future, but they will have to change,” he warned. “Compatibility with recycling is key.”
AI
Before kicking off the second day of the programme, FINAT showed an AI-created video building on the 2030 scenarios presented the previous day. This video about the future of the label industry highlighted the importance of labels not only for product decoration but also for regulatory compliance and supply chain transparency. The label “is where consumer engagement meets supply chain intelligence”, said the AI narrator.
Bram Verhoef, co-founder and director of customer success at Axelera AI, spoke about how “edge computing” is set to revolutionize manufacturing over the next two years.
Edge (as opposed to cloud-based) computing is an AI-based technology which enables devices in remote locations to process data and perform actions in real time. He gave real-world examples of how it is transforming production lines, enhancing efficiency and driving innovation.
“We are moving toward ubiquitous and distributed Artificial Intelligence,” he said. “AI models are growing exponentially, and can unleash new applications.”
André van Straten, author of The Creative Revolution, spoke about using creativity to unlock agility, resilience, and innovation.
“Creativity can be learned,” he said. “It is about having ideas but also recognising them, and solving problems. It can be your biggest competitive advantage and can help to future-proof your business.”
Human creativity combined with AI can be “the best of both worlds”, said van Straten. “AI is a game-changer – it’s a huge opportunity to augment human creativity.”
His concept of the “Human Spark Engine” combines human traits such as intuition and imagination with AI’s speed and iteration power to drive impactful ideas.
“Creativity always needs a trigger – without input, there is no output,” he said.
Flexible packaging
Jörg Schönwald, managing director of Schönwald Consulting, spoke about the convergence of narrow and wide web printing. As label printers install presses with wider web widths, they can tackle short-run flexible packaging work, for example, which Schönwald identified as a particular opportunity.
Flexible packaging consumption in Europe was 4.8 million tons in 2024, with 86% of it used in food, beverage and pet food applications. Stand-up pouches have proved particularly popular, with consumption rising from 2.7 billion units in 1996 to nearly 60 billion today.
There is a clear trend towards the use of mono-materials in the sector – which now make up around 58% of flexible packaging films in Europe.
The flexible packaging discussion continued with a panel, moderated by Bert van Loon, which featured Erik van Sloten of BOBST, Michael Schrameyer of Coveris Flexibles, Alex Aarslew-Jensen of Nilpeter, and Noël Kasmi of adapa Group. The group were unanimous in their belief in the growth potential of flexible packaging, highlighting the advantage label converters have thanks to their experience in dealing with fast lead times and short runs.
Success by smallness
The closing keynote address came from mountaineer and adventurer Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to climb Mount Everest and reach the North Pole. She recounted the inspirational story of her Mount Everest climb, where her mantras of “Success by smallness” and “Focus not fret” were key to helping her overcome her fears and achieve her goal.
“Fear of failure can stop us from even starting. If you want to conquer the mountain out there, first you need to conquer the mountain in your head,” she said.
“We can’t control the avalanches; we can’t control the weather. We must focus on what we can control. Success by smallness helps us to be creative and keeps us from giving up – there is always one more thing you can do which might transform your chances. Focus on the process, and progress will look after itself.”
Collaboration
Philippe Voet, FINAT president, said: “The three words that sum up the event are collaboration, action, and persistence. Collaboration because we have seen how important it is that we work together. Action, because all this information we have received is nothing unless we take action. And persistence because we must keep going as an industry, one step at a time.”
FINAT managing director Jules Lejeune said: “It was fantastic to be back in Amsterdam – exactly ten years after we relaunched our annual congress as the European Label Forum. Since then, with just a brief Covid interruption, the ELF has grown into the meeting point for the label industry’s decision-makers and thought-leaders.
“It’s where insights are shared, ideas sparked, and the future of our sector shaped – from business trends and market shifts to regulation, sustainability, innovation, and creative leadership.”
Next year’s FINAT European Label Forum will take place in Seville, Spain, on May 27-29.
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