With the new factory that commenced operations at the beginning of 2025, what kind of transformation has Toyo Printing Inks undergone? What is the place of this investment within your strategic objectives?

The new facility that we commissioned in 2025 has marked the beginning of a comprehensive transformation that goes far beyond merely increasing capacity; it has redefined our production technologies, quality standards, and R&D capabilities. With its advanced automation systems, precise process control infrastructures, and sustainability-focused design, our factory constitutes a modern production hub that aims both to enhance operational efficiency and to reduce environmental impact.

In short, this investment not only increases our production capacity of Toyo Printing Inks, but also represents a critical milestone in achieving its long-term strategic objectives centered on technological transformation, sustainability, regional competitiveness, and an R&D-driven approach.

As of 2025, which areas have you primarily focused on within R&D? What kind of innovation approach have you adopted in new technologies or product development processes?

In 2025, we directed our R&D activities primarily toward areas that have a direct impact on the industry, such as regulatory compliance, food safety, environmental performance, and color consistency in printing processes. In line with the increasingly stringent chemical management and packaging safety regulations of the European , we reassessed the raw materials used in our inks and accelerated the transition to sustainable raw materials. Furthermore, as the importance of products compatible with recycling processes continues to increase, it is worth emphasizing that our LO/LM sheet-fed offset ink series, which holds the de-inkability certification issued by INGEDE, constitutes a strong output of our sustainability approach. This series not only meets low migration criteria for non-direct food contact applications, but also enhances environmental performance by providing high compatibility with paper recycling processes. From the same perspective, our efforts on new projects for water-based inks continue intensively within the framework of efficiency, sustainability, and regulatory requirements. 

In the field of color management, in parallel with the increasing demands of global brands, we have placed particular emphasis on color standardization, consistency, and repeatability in printing processes. In order to ensure that the ink systems we have developed deliver the same color output across different printing machines, we conduct detailed validation processes both in laboratory environments and in the field.

What differentiates our R&D approach is the establishment of a structure in which we conduct our development processes entirely in parallel with our customers. By rapidly analyzing customer feedback focused on performance, sustainable content, and production efficiency, we form dedicated working groups together with our technical teams. By carrying out field tests of our products jointly with our customers, we perform performance validation under real application conditions and complete the necessary improvements within the same development cycle.

In summary, in 2025, the core of our R&D focused on sustainable raw materials, regulatory-compliant formulations, color management technologies, and a rapid development culture. I believe that this approach has both strengthened our competitiveness in offset inks and contributed to the establishment of an R&D structure that drives transformation within the industry.

How do you evaluate the impact of digitalization and automation in ink technologies on R&D processes? 

Digitalization is one of the fundamental factors transforming both the methodology and the speed of our R&D processes. In particular, the increased use of digital tools in data collection, analysis, and standardization processes helps to make our development cycles significantly more efficient and manageable.

In our laboratory work, through the use of digital measurement devices and spectrophotometer-based color management software, we obtain more repeatable results and are able to perform color consistency and performance comparisons with much greater precision. This provides us with a critical advantage that directly impacts the quality of our R&D activities, as we work with tight tolerances in our inks.

Within our internal processes, we systematically document all test results, formulation histories, and customer feedback through digital platforms such as SAP, CRM, and QDMS. In this way, we both enhance traceability and adopt a data-driven approach in our decision-making processes. AI-supported training programs and digital documentation tools also accelerate the sharing of technical knowledge within the team.

In short, digitalization enables R&D to evolve beyond being merely a technical function and paves the way for the establishment of a more predictable, faster, and more standardized development culture. In this way, it makes it possible for us to offer our customers products that are more consistent, more reliable, and aligned with international standards.

What developments do you foresee in the packaging and printing inks industry for the year 2026?

In 2026, we foresee that both the packaging and printing inks industries will undergo a more intensive transformation process driven by the impact of global regulations. We expect a more technical and standards-oriented transformation in both offset inks and water-based liquid inks. Due to both the quality expectations of global brands and the tightening of regulations, we anticipate that criteria related to ink performance will become more decisive in the coming period. In particular, vegetable oil-based solutions are no longer a matter of preference in offset inks, but are becoming a fundamental requirement.

In the field of color management, color standardization, repeatability, and sustainable color stability will gain significantly greater importance across the industry. As brands increasingly demand the same color output across their global production sites, ISO-based color standards, process control tools, and digital color measurement systems will come more prominently to the forefront. In turn, makes a technical and data-driven approach mandatory in both product design and field validation processes.

In summary, in 2026 the industry will be shaped by sustainability, regulatory compliance, recycling-friendly materials, color standardization, and efficiency-driven technologies. As Toyo Printing Inks, having an R&D infrastructure in place that is prepared for the technical requirements of this transformation will enable us to closely monitor industry developments and provide our customers with the right solutions at the right time.

What are the strategic objectives of Toyo Printing Inks for the year 2026?

We aim to continue our growth driven by innovation and transformation with determination. Strengthening local distributor networks, developing products that comply with regulations, and optimizing our logistics processes form the foundation of our strategies.

In 2026, our R&D strategic focus is shaped around strengthening our sustainable and regulatory-compliant product portfolio, increasing alignment with international standards in color management, and advancing technical performance to a higher level. Within this scope, while increasing the use of environmentally friendly content in our formulations, we are working on innovative technologies that support color consistency and printing stability.

In addition, in line with industry trends, color standardization, process efficiency, and the integration of digitalization will continue to constitute the most critical pillars of our R&D approach in 2026.

About Toyo Printing Inks

Founded in 1896 in Japan and with a global network of approximately 7,800 employees, artience Group operates in more than 20 countries and is one of the world’s largest ink producers today. As a diversified chemical manufacturer, artience Group’s subsidiary Toyo Printing Inks is positioned among the pioneering brands shaping Türkiye’s ink industry.

Toyo Printing Inks, which develops innovative products tailored to the needs of the packaging and printing industries, conducts its operations at two factories located in the Manisa Industrial Zone and a Color Production Center in Istanbul. Maintaining a strong presence in the industry since 1968, Toyo Printing Inks strengthened its production infrastructure with the establishment of its factory in Manisa in 2010 and, with the launch of a second facility in 2025, further increased its capacity and expanded its product portfolio.

The company conducts R&D and manufactures products that offer customized solutions tailored to customer needs in the categories of Newspaper and Magazine Inks, Sheet-Fed Offset Inks, Screen Printing Inks, Flexo and Rotogravure Inks, and Metal Packaging Systems. In addition, it began producing lamination adhesives in 2025 and also provides comprehensive solutions to the sector by supplying product groups including pigments.

Recognized as Türkiye’s first official ink R&D Center, Toyo Printing Inks received the Türkiye Excellence Award in the “Utilization of Creativity and Innovation” category at the 2018 KalDer Excellence Awards and won second place in the “Innovation Organization and Culture” category at InovaLIG in 2016.

Toyo Printing Inks is committed to aligning its goals with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), prioritizing sustainability at every stage of the manufacturing process, from the use of eco-friendly raw materials to the reduction of waste and emissions. By integrating the SDGs into its business practices, the company aims to generate a positive social and environmental impact while delivering high-quality products that meet its customers’ needs.

For more information, visit www.artiencetpi.com.