Toyo Ink Europe sets its R&D direction for 2026

1. A clear sustainability roadmap

Sustainability is no longer an option—it is a strategic imperative. Toyo Ink Europe’s R&D strategy places sustainability at its core, with a structured roadmap guiding the development of products that reduce environmental impact while maintaining high performance.  This includes work on raw material selection (renewable/bio-based), LED product portfolio optimisation (reduction of energy), and life-cycle considerations, all aimed at supporting customers in meeting their own sustainability goals and reducing their CO2 footprint. The focus is not only on compliance, but on delivering long-term value through responsible innovation.

2. Regulatory-driven innovation

The second pillar of the R&D strategy is a strong regulatory focus. With increasing and evolving regulations across Europe and beyond, Toyo Ink Europe is proactively integrating regulatory requirements into its innovation process.

By anticipating legislative changes and embedding compliance early in product development through the adoption of new technology and raw materials, the R&D teams ensure that customers can rely on future-proof solutions that are aiming to be ‘ahead of regulations.’ This approach minimizes risk, shortens time to market, and supports customers operating in highly regulated environments.

3. Responding to trends in the graphical market

The graphical market continues to evolve, driven by changing technologies, applications, and customer demands. In commercial offset printing, increased process efficiency and enhanced performance are the key dimensions. In flexographic printing, labels and shrink sleeves are increasingly becoming commodity segments, pushing printers to look for differentiation and new growth opportunities.

As a result, many are diversifying toward flexible packaging and accelerating the shift away from solvent-based systems toward UV and LED technologies. These transitions are closely linked to the industry’s demand for lower energy consumption and improved process efficiency.  Toyo Ink Europe’s R&D strategy responds to these developments with a strong focus on low-energy ink technologies, enabling faster curing, reduced energy usage, and more sustainable production processes.

By closely monitoring changes in printing processes, substrates, and end-use applications, the company adapts its product development to support customers as their markets evolve.

4. Supporting customer standardisation needs

Standardisation is increasingly important for customers seeking efficiency, consistency, and scalability across regions and applications. The fourth pillar of Toyo Ink Europe’s R&D strategy addresses this need directly.

R&D efforts are focused on developing solutions that help customers standardise processes and products without compromising performance or quality. This enables smoother operations, reduced complexity, and greater reliability across supply chains.

A focused vision for 2026

Together, these four pillars form a coherent R&D strategy that balances innovation with responsibility. Under Marc’s leadership, Toyo Ink Europe’s technology and R&D teams are positioning the company to support customers with solutions that are sustainable, compliant, market-relevant, and standardized.

“Our goal is to innovate with purpose, turning our know-how into added value products and technologies for our customers and the market.”  Dr. Heylen concludes. “By aligning our R&D strategy with sustainability, regulation, market reality, and customer needs, we are building a strong foundation for the future.”