Driving Digital: How BHS Corrugated is Transforming the Future of Packaging
FuturePrint Editorial Team
This article is inspired by a recent podcast interview with Nils Gottfried of BHS Corrugated. You can check out the podcast here or by clicking the graphic below.
In the world of industrial manufacturing, few sectors have proven as enduringly vital as corrugated packaging. While it may lack the glamour of tech start-ups or consumer electronics, corrugated board is the backbone of global logistics and retail – ubiquitous, resilient, and now, increasingly intelligent. At the vanguard of this evolution is BHS Corrugated, a 300-year-old German manufacturer leading an evolutionary but significant transformation in how packaging is produced.
Nils Gottfried, Senior Sales Manager and marketing responsible for the BHS Jetliner series, exemplifies the business’ blend of legacy engineering and forward-looking innovation. In a recent conversation on the FuturePrint Podcast, Gottfried offered insights into why digital printing is finally gaining traction in a historically analogue industry, and why BHS Corrugated intends not just to follow the digital print revolution, but to shape it.
"When I started in the corrugated industry, digital print was barely a consideration," Gottfried explained. "Now it's central to strategic discussions across the sector."
Corrugated’s Digital Awakening
The corrugated sector has traditionally lagged behind in digital adoption. But change, Gottfried suggests, is now not only inevitable but accelerating. While digital print volumes remain small compared to analogue, customer expectations and more powerfully their demands, are evolving fast. The appetite for faster lead times, greater customisation, and on-demand production is forcing converters to reconsider outdated workflows.
"There is a mindset shift happening, particularly in North America," Gottfried observed. "Companies there are already transferring significant flexographic work to digital. Europe is following more cautiously, but it's only a matter of time."
Much of this demand is being driven by the brands themselves, who are increasingly unwilling to tolerate the waste and inflexibility of large-batch print jobs. Shorter product cycles, versioning, and sustainability imperatives demand a leaner, more agile approach and more economic approach.
From Press Operator to Digital Strategist
Gottfried’s career mirrors the sector's transformation. Beginning as a traditional offset printer in the 1990s, he moved through roles at GMG Color, Fujifilm and Smurfit Kappa, acquiring deep expertise in both colour management and inkjet systems. Now, at BHS Corrugated, he finds himself at the confluence of analogue legacy and digital disruption.
"Our BHS Jetliner series is about more than adding a few printhead to a production line," he noted. "It’s about rethinking the entire corrugated production process around digital capabilities."
The BHS Jetliner Monochrome and BHS Jetliner Xceed are two key developments in BHS Corrugated's push towards full-line digital integration. The former embeds directly into the corrugator, while the latter functions as a standalone roll-to-roll system – each targeting specific market segments.
The Efficiency Imperative
According to Gottfried, the pressure to innovate is not merely about image. Efficiency is now a survival issue.
"Mergers and acquisitions have led to larger, more integrated operations," he said. "These businesses are examining the entire value chain – from papermaking to delivery – to remove inefficiencies. That includes digitalising processes previously considered unchangeable."
A key factor driving this is the persistent shortage of skilled labour. With fewer trained operators available, automation and ease-of-use become essential design principles.
"We’re seeing more interest in AI-driven automation and digital lifecycle services," he added. "These are no longer future trends. They are current requirements."
Sustainability by Design
As debates around plastic versus paper rage on, corrugated is positioning itself as the environmentally superior alternative. But even within the paper segment, there is pressure to do more with less – cutting waste, reducing grammage, and moving away from overproduction.
"On-demand production is now a sustainability imperative," Gottfried said. "No one wants to throw out packaging at year-end anymore. Digital helps eliminate that risk."
And crucially, sustainability and speed to market are not mutually exclusive.
"They go hand in hand. The more efficient your process, the lower your environmental footprint."
Global Markets, Local Learnings
Operating globally, BHS Corrugated has an eye on regional nuances. While North America has led the adoption curve, Asia is becoming a proving ground for rapid innovation. China, in particular, is gaining a reputation for "doing before talking," as Gottfried put it.
"In Shanghai, we saw first-hand how quickly they prototype and iterate," he said. "It’s agile development in real-time. That’s something Western markets can learn from."
This global perspective is critical, given that digital transformation is not a one-size-fits-all process. BHS Corrugated has responded by aligning R&D teams across continents, combining German engineering precision with Asian agility.
The Corruverse and the Road Ahead
In our conversation, Nils Gottfried introduced the Corruverse – a new framework developed by BHS Corrugated that rethinks how box plants operate. Instead of viewing the corrugator, intralogistics, and processing as separate functions, the Corruverse brings them together into a single, intelligent ecosystem.
The goal is to create a plant that is not only more efficient and flexible but also more sustainable – enabling seamless coordination across every stage of production. This is more than automation; it’s a shift towards a fully connected, data-driven operation. For BHS Corrugated, the Corruverse signals the start of a new chapter – what they describe as the ‘Box Plant beyond limits’.
On 25 May 2025, BHS Corrugated formally launched the Corruverse strategy – a unified, intelligent production ecosystem spanning their entire technology portfolio. The BHS Jetliner series is part of the holistic universe, positioned as the digital print engine of the future.
“We’re building a flexible, modular ecosystem,” Gottfried explained. “The Corruverse brings together digital print, AI, automation, and lifecycle analytics. It’s about future-proofing the factory floor.”
Looking ahead, Nils Gottfried and the entire BHS Corrugated team are focused on scaling their digital capabilities with a clear ambition: to become the leading partner for digital print in the corrugated industry.
“We’re not just integrating single-pass printing,” he added. “We’re reimagining how packaging is made – from start to finish.”
In a sector where tradition often outweighs transformation, BHS Corrugated is showing that legacy can be a powerful launchpad. With a blend of innovation, strategic focus, and global collaboration, the company isn’t just adapting to the digital age – it’s helping shape it.
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