- Dual-use technology approach on target – establishing new areas of business based on core expertise boosts strategic diversification
- Strong partnerships – new Memorandum of Understanding to be announced at ILA between ONBERG and Ukrainian company
- Core business stable – global positioning ensures robust development and underlines market leadership
- Focus on efficiency – cost base streamlined and competitiveness strengthened
- Financial year 2025/2026 – EBITDA margin down on previous year, while sales and net result after taxes improve
- Outlook for financial year 2026/2027 – challenging geopolitical environment, systematic expansion of HEIDELBERG Technology growth segment
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) has made full use of financial year 2025/2026 to significantly accelerate its transformation into a more broadly based technology company, despite a challenging environment. Based on its strong industry and systems expertise, HEIDELBERG has adopted an approach centred on dual-use technologies to systematically tap into additional markets in the areas of defense, security, energy, charging infrastructure, and industrial system solutions. One key aspect of this strategy is combining all relevant activities under the umbrella of HD Advanced Technologies GmbH. In this way, HEIDELBERG is making itself more future-proof and laying the foundations for long-term attractive and profitable growth.
Credit: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
HEIDELBERG is expanding its position as a system integrator in the growing packaging market.
Strong partnerships – new Memorandum of Understanding to be announced at ILA between ONBERG and Ukrainian company
By systematically building up its defence business, HEIDELBERG has established a further new mainstay alongside its e-mobility subsidiary Amperfied. One example of this strategy in action is ONBERG, a joint venture with the US‑Israeli technology company Ondas that is focusing on autonomous anti-drone defence and security systems. The plan under this collaboration is to initially use the Brandenburg site for the sale and distribution of state-of-the-art anti-drone systems and subsequently industrialize these systems and put them into series production at the site. This strategy is drawing attention to the technological strength of HEIDELBERG in new markets, too. The next step is envisaged within the week–a new Memorandum of Understanding between ONBERG and a Ukrainian drone business regarding a potential partnership is set to be announced at the ILA Berlin Air Show.
“In recent months, we have significantly accelerated the strategic development of HEIDELBERG and further raised our profile as a technology-oriented high-tech business,” says Jürgen Otto, CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. “We are one of the world’s top companies when it comes to complex, high-precision mechanical engineering. With HD Advanced Technologies and our focus on dual-use technologies, we are leveraging this expertise and capacity to create additional, attractive areas of business alongside our core business in printing and packaging. Thanks to our broad technology base, we are successfully establishing partnerships in attractive growth areas, including service and software. Our goal is clear – to position HEIDELBERG as a high-performance, high-tech company with sustainable growth in profitability,” he adds.
Focus on core business – expanding digital business and becoming a systems integrator in packaging printing
HEIDELBERG is continuously expanding its portfolio in the growth area of digital printing. One particular driver of this development is the digital print ramp-up in the inkjet market. In parallel with this, HEIDELBERG is building on its position as a systems integrator and increasingly covering the entire packaging production value chain on an end-to-end basis. One key focus is on processes upstream and downstream of actual printing. For example, HEIDELBERG has substantially extended its strategic postpress packaging partnership with the Chinese manufacturer Masterwork, moving beyond the previous sales and distribution collaboration. At the same time, the company is pressing ahead with the technological development of its core business portfolio and systematically expanding its activities in growth regions such as Latin America, Vietnam, and India. In addition to this, focused strategic M&A measures such as acquiring the brand rights of Polar are further strengthening the portfolio.
“The packaging market is a key growth engine for HEIDELBERG, because it is being driven by global trends such as population growth, urbanization, and the necessity for sustainable business practices. We are systematically extending our solutions to cover the entire manufacturing process in packaging production – from substrate selection, printing, postpress operations, and logistics all the way through to digital integration,” explains Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG.
Focus on efficiency – cost base streamlined and competitiveness strengthened
Effective efficiency measures such as completely relocating production of the Speedmaster CX104 to China and opening a new site in North Macedonia to reduce future manufacturing costs for individual product groups are helping to further optimize the cost structure. Overall, important progress has been made with key cost and efficiency targets. For example, the plan for the future at the company’s German sites is exceeding expectations and playing a key role in adjusting the personnel cost structure and strengthening competitiveness.
Financial year 2025/2026 – EBITDA margin down on previous year, while sales and net result after taxes improve
HEIDELBERG has held its own in a difficult environment, keeping its operational performance stable and even significantly improving its net result after taxes. The audited business figures for financial year 2025/2026 confirm the preliminary figures already published. For example, sales in the reporting period were slightly up on the previous year’s figure of € 2,280 million at € 2,293 million. Sales adjusted for exchange rate movements amounted to around € 2,362 million. Sales increased in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and Americas regions. The positive trend for incoming orders in the final quarters of previous years continued. The figure of € 619 million for the fourth quarter was the highest during the reporting year and also higher than in the previous year. Over the year as a whole, however, the current geopolitical tensions had an adverse effect on incoming orders, which totalled € 2,246 million (previous year: € 2,433 million). In the year under review, incoming orders were also affected by negative exchange rate effects amounting to some € 71 million.
During the reporting period, the HEIDELBERG Technology segment’s incoming orders and sales were both up on the previous year. EBITDA improved slightly compared with the previous year but remained negative. In the Print & Packaging Equipment segment, incoming orders fell in financial year 2025/2026, but sales increased slightly. The adjusted EBITDA figure was down on the previous year. The Digital Solutions & Lifecycle segment recorded lower incoming orders than in the previous year and sales fell slightly. The adjusted EBITDA figure for financial year 2025/2026 was also slightly down on the previous year’s level.
The overall adjusted EBITDA margin of 6.6 percent for financial year 2025/2026 was in line with the adjusted forecast and therefore below the previous year’s figure (7.1 percent). This was due to bringing forward investments and expenditure for new, promising activities outside of the company’s core business (especially in the area of security and defence). Further factors in addition to another sudden drop in investment demand due to the onset of the war in the Middle East – and the associated supply bottlenecks, order delays, and increases in energy prices – included tariffs, continuing negative exchange rate effects (reducing EBITDA by € 20 million), and a less favourable product mix than in the previous year. Key positive aspects were the improvement in the cost structure (personnel costs, for instance), efficiency and structural measures, and the visible successes of the measures established in the plan for the future.
Before adjustment for special items, EBITDA increased from € 137 million in the previous year to € 145 million in the reporting year. The net result after taxes in the reporting period tripled to € 15 million (previous year: € 5 million). The free cash flow in the year under review totaled € -19 million (previous year: € 51 million). The equity ratio improved to 27 percent (previous year: 25 percent).
Outlook for financial year 2026/2027 –challenging geopolitical environment, systematic expansion of HEIDELBERG Technology growth segment
Forecast planning for financial year 2026/2027 (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027) is based on the underlying economic and sector-specific conditions in the markets that are relevant to HEIDELBERG. Forecasts are also conditional on the global economy growing at least to the extent currently anticipated by economic research institutions.
Based on the above assumptions, the company forecasts stable Group sales matching the previous year’s level in financial year 2026/2027 and a noticeable improvement in the adjusted EBITDA margin compared with the previous year. It is assumed that there will be no substantial changes in relevant exchange rates for business activities.