Success story: “Made by HEIDELBERG in China”– 20 years of production in Shanghai

• Shanghai site is a key pillar in the growth strategy for the core Busniess of HEIDELBERG 
• Competence center is a point of contact for customers from all over Asia
• Export quota of the Shanghai site at around 40 percent,
  with deliveries to 70 countries

Two decades ago, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) made a bold and far-reaching statement when it broke ground for its own production site in China. This was the beginning of a success story that has developed into a cornerstone of the entire company. The 2024/25 financial year set a record, with around 1,500 printing units assembled, an export quota of 40 percent, and deliveries to 70 countries. To date, a total of over 16,000 printing and coating units and almost 3,300 printing presses have been delivered from the Shanghai plant. The site thus makes a significant contribution to the strong market position of HEIDELBERG in China and gives the company a real competitive advantage.

What began in 2005 with the assembly of simple folding machines for print finishing has now become one of the most important production sites in the global HEIDELBERG network as a result of the dynamic growth of the Chinese printing industry. The Shanghai site (formerly known as the “Qingpu site” based on its exact location) covers an area of around 100,000 square meters, including 70,000 square meters of production space spread across three assembly shops. Today, the site employs around 600 people, who mainly produce printing units for the medium and large formats of the Speedmaster CX 92, SX 102, and CX 104 models.
With the opening of the Print Media Center at the Shanghai site in 2015, it has also developed into a center of excellence and a point of contact for customers from the Asia-Pacific region. Here, they can watch the machines in action, receive training, and see the site’s capabilities for themselves.

“Our Shanghai plant is particularly representative of the growth strategy of HEIDELBERG for its core business and underscores our strong market position in China. It shows how local production, technological excellence, and international cooperation lead to global success. We will continue on this path – with innovation, a strong customer focus, and local responsibility for implementation,” said Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG, in his welcoming remarks during the anniversary celebrations. 

Michael Nilges, head of the Shanghai site, added: “The success story of the HEIDELBERG Shanghai site is closely linked to the commitment of its employees. The culture is performance-oriented and pragmatic, with a family-like cohesion. The cooperation between German and Chinese teams is living proof of our company’s intercultural strength.”

China – growth driver for the entire company
The Chinese printing market is a growth driver of global relevance for HEIDELBERG and also the largest single market for printing presses worldwide. Initially, machines in standard configurations were manufactured at the Shanghai site, primarily for the Chinese market. However, rising demand and  the plant's growing experience resulted in the site also playing and increasingly important role for more complex models and internatiomnal markets.

In China itself, packaging printing is developing particularly dynamically. Packaging and labels account for almost 50 percent of the Chinese printing industry, and the market for folding cartons is growing particularly by around three percent annually. Some 75 percent of HEIDELBERG customers in China come from the packaging segment, and the company has a market share of around 50 percent in the Chinese market for modern sheetfed offset systems. Speedmaster XL technology manufactured in Germany is helping to meet this demand. Commercial printing, too, remains an important market for HEIDELBERG in China, especially for smaller print runs and customized applications. In this segement as a whole, demand for flexible, highly productive, and cost-efficient solutions in conjunction with digital printing technologies is also increasing in China.

“The machines manufactured by HEIDELBERG in Shanghai are in no way inferior to those from company headquarters in Wiesloch-Walldorf in terms of quality and efficiency, because ‘Made by HEIDELBERG’ is a global promise of quality that applies to all our products and locations – a promise that our customers worldwide can rely on,” emphasized Otto.

From a pioneering project to a global production hub – milestones from two decades at the HEIDELBERG Shanghai site
 

• 2005: Groundbreaking ceremony for the new HEIDELBERG site in Qingpu, near Shanghai – HEIDELBERG is the first German printing press manufacturer to venture into building its own plant in China.
• 2006: Start of production, with folding machines and the Speedmaster SM 52 and SM 74 printing presses for small and medium formats.
• 2007–2011: Expansion with two additional buildings, including a 21,500-square-meter assembly shop for the Speedmaster CD 102.
• 2013: Delivery of the 1,000th printing press – a milestone for the plant and a symbol of “Made by HEIDELBERG in Shanghai” quality.
• 2014: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification – confirmation of the highest quality standards.
• 2015: Opening of the Print Media Center (PMC) Shanghai – a training and demonstration center for customers from all over Asia.
• 2021: Start of production of the Speedmaster CX 104, which was unveiled at the China Print trade show in the same year.
• 2024/25: Record year, with around 1,500 printing units assembled and an export quota of 40 percent, 21 percent to markets outside Asia.
• 2025: Modernization of the Print Media Center Shanghai based on the model and style of the “Home of Print” at company headquarters in Wiesloch-Walldorf – over 350 international customers visit the new center.
  To date, a total of over 16,000 printing and coating units and almost 3,300 printing presses have been delivered from the Shanghai plant.

About HEIDELBERG
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth and as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency.
The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control systems, automation technology, robotics, and the growing green technologies sector. With its strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the USA, and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is ideally positioned for future growth.
www.heidelberg.com

Press Release | HEIDELBERG
Image 1: The Shanghai site is a key pillar in the growth strategy of HEIDELBERG for its core business – the photo shows the final assembly.
Image 2: The groundbreaking ceremony for the new HEIDELBERG site in Shanghai took place in 2005.
Image 3: Initially, HEIDELBERG produced postpress machinery for the Chinese market at its Shanghai site.
Image 4: By 2006, HEIDELBERG had also started producing standard small-format printing presses.
Image 5: Since 2011, HEIDELBERG has also been producing lagre-format printing presse (70x100) at its Shanghai site.
Image 6: To date, HEIDELBERG has produced over 16,000 printing and coating units at its Shanghai site.
Image 7: These now include extra-long configurations of the best-selling Speedmaster CX 104.
Image 8: “Made by HEIDELBERG” is a promise of quality, that applies to all the company’s products and sites.
Image 9: The HEIDELBERG Shanghai site now covers an area of around 100,000 square meters, 70,000 square meters of which is production space spread across three assembly shops.

175 years of HEIDELBERG – Home of Print press kit | HEIDELBERG

For additional details about the company and image material, please visit the Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com and the Media Library.

Contact:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG

Corporate Public Relations
Thomas Fichtl
Phone: +49 (0)6222 82-67123
Fax: +49 (0)6222 82-67129
E-mail: thomas.fichtl@heidelberg.com

Investor Relations
Sascha Donat
Phone: +49 (0)6222 82-67120
E-Mail: sascha.donat@heidelberg.com

Important note:
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the overall economic situation, in exchange and interest rates, and within the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability for future developments and results deviating from the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.