Five million robots now operate in factories globally
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) reports that the global operational stock of industrial robots surged 9% to a record 5 million units in 2025. This was driven by an 11% jump in annual installations. You can find more information in an executive summary (4.46 MB) of the World Robotics Industrial Robots 2026 report.
US robotics market for packaging and processing poised to nearly double by 2031
According to a report by PMMI in conjunction with Interact Analysis, the US robotics market serving packaging and processing was worth more than $440 million in 2025 and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 10.3% to reach approximately $800 million by 2031. You can download a summary of the report after filling in your details. You can also find more information in an accompanying infographic (991 kB).
Report on packaging machinery market in North America
Another report by PMMI finds that the US packaging machinery market reached an estimated $11.7 billion in shipment value in 2025, with food accounting for approximately 44% of the total. Canadian packaging machinery shipments reached approximately $1.2 billion in 2025, up 3.6% from 2024. You can find more information in an accompanying infographic (2.75 MB).
Barrier papers at a glance: growth, trends and forecasts to 2031
According to Smithers, the demand for barrier papers has grown faster than the overall packaging market since 2021, and growth is forecast to accelerate over the next five years as brands move away from single-use plastics and PFAS-based coatings. You can read more in an infographic that you can download after filling in your details.
The PCR plastic paradox: the supply/demand challenge and 4 ways it could play out
Regulation and brand pledges are pulling packaging-grade recycled polymer demand toward 25 million tonnes by 2030. Actual capacity is heading nowhere close. A whitepaper by Smithers looks at supply/demand challenge in PCR and discusses potential scenarios for the supply/demand outlook. You can download the whitepaper after filling in your details.
Haptic properties of packaging materials and consumer perception
A University of Brasov study looks at the relationship between the haptic properties of packaging and consumer perception. The results show that these attributes influence the perception of quality, gustatory expectations, purchase intention and willingness to pay. The study (390 kB) is published in “Ovidius” University Annals, Economic Sciences Series.
What health claims on packaged food conceal
A University of Cornell study finds that products bearing health-related claims are not only not consistently healthier, they are sometimes less nutritious.
NL: Spending on sustainable food rises, share unchanged
The Sustainable Food Monitor 2025 (in Dutch, 1.35 MB) by WUR shows that Dutch consumers spent almost €15.6 billion on food with a sustainability label in 2025, 6% more than a year earlier. The share of total food expenditure remained unchanged at 22%.
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