Kongsberg Drives Innovation in the Corrugated Sector at FESPA 2026

The new FESPA 2026 event showcased how corrugated cardboard continues to gain prominence in signage, displays, and industrial production.

One of the major highlights of FESPA Global Print Expo 2026 was the launch of Corrugated, a section dedicated to the growing role of corrugated cardboard in packaging, display, signage, and visual communication applications. The new area showcased solutions focused on automation, productivity, and sustainability, reflecting how this segment continues to expand within the printing industry.

Among the companies in attendance, Kongsberg stood out, taking advantage of the trade show to showcase some of its latest automated cutting solutions designed specifically for corrugated materials. For Dimitri Van Garver, Marketing Director at Kongsberg, FESPA remains “the most important event” for the European market and a strategic platform for connecting with both international customers and the Iberian market.

“The fact that FESPA is being held in Spain this year is even better for us because Iberia is a very important region,” Van Garver explained during the trade show. The company brought a wide range of equipment to Barcelona, tailored to different levels of productivity and various production needs.

The centerpiece of its booth was Ultimate, the brand’s most advanced system to date. Designed specifically for corrugated materials, it combines automatic feeding, cutting, and stacking into a single production line. “It’s a fully automated solution,” explained Van Garver. “The machine automatically feeds the material, cuts it, and restacks it, optimizing the entire workflow.”

In addition to the Ultimate system, Kongsberg showcased other equipment designed for both companies with high production volumes and businesses seeking more versatile and flexible solutions. The company also took advantage of the trade show to launch a new inkjet marking tool capable of printing barcodes, lot numbers, and identification information directly during the cutting process.

The creation of Corrugated is a response to an increasingly visible shift in the market: the convergence of packaging, displays, and visual communication. According to Van Garver, industries that traditionally operated separately now share materials, production needs, and similar challenges.

“Packaging, signage, and displays primarily use corrugated cardboard and face very similar challenges,” he said. “Our goal is to listen to our customers and develop machines that truly meet their needs.”

Automation was one of the most prominent themes in the demonstrations and presentations at the event. In a context marked by the need to reduce production times, improve efficiency, and meet the demand for shorter, more customized runs, corrugated cardboard is emerging as an increasingly attractive material due to its versatility and sustainable potential.

The new space also highlighted how the evolution of packaging is no longer limited to traditional packaging. Corrugated cardboard is gaining a foothold in retail, displays, temporary visual communications, and brand experiences, driven by the demand for lighter, more recyclable, and more adaptable solutions.

The inclusion of Corrugated at FESPA 2026 also highlighted the event’s growing diversification, as this year’s edition simultaneously brought together six specialized areas: printing, signage, personalization, wrapping, textiles, and corrugated. This convergence fostered cross-pollination between different industrial segments and demonstrated how technologies and materials are increasingly being used in shared applications.

With a strong focus on automation, process integration, and productivity-oriented solutions, Corrugated established itself as one of the most significant emerging areas at the trade show. And for companies like Kongsberg, the message was clear: the future of corrugated cardboard no longer lies solely in packaging, but in a much broader ecosystem within visual communication and graphic production.

Following Barcelona, FESPA has already confirmed that FESPA Global Print Expo 2027 will be held in Munich, Germany, further solidifying the itinerant and international nature of Europe’s leading event for the graphic arts and visual communications industries.