Global print manufacturing is entering a defining period of transformation – not decline – according to Henrik Müller-Hansen, who argues the sector’s growth potential is being widely underestimated.
During a recent visit to Australia, Müller-Hansen shared a compelling global perspective on how print manufacturers can reposition themselves for long-term growth through technology, automation, software investment and new customer markets.
As founder and global CEO of Gelato, a software-driven production network operating across 31 countries, Müller-Hansen has built a substantial global print technology platform. Gelato is targeting approximately AU$210 million in revenue this year and is valued at more than US$1 billion following investment from Goldman Sachs, SoftBank and Insight Partners.
Speaking with print leaders in Sydney and Melbourne, he outlined a vision for an industry shifting away from traditional volume-driven manufacturing models towards smarter, software-enabled, production-on-demand operations.
But his message to Australian manufacturers was not simply about AI. It was about mindset – and about the role software will play in the next era of manufacturing.
“You underinvest in software and you overinvest in machines,” Müller-Hansen said.
That distinction, he argues, may well define the next decade of manufacturing.
For too long, the global print industry has measured success through throughput, plant size and equipment capability. Yet the sectors now leading manufacturing growth internationally are those investing heavily in software ecosystems, workflow automation, robotics, ecommerce integration and customer experience.
According to Müller-Hansen, print continues to lag broader manufacturing industries in software investment despite enormous commercial opportunity.
“Our average investment is one to two per cent of revenue in the print industry,” he said. “Across industries globally it is five to 10 per cent.”
He claims print is investing at only 20 to 30 per cent of the level seen across broader manufacturing sectors in software and automation.
Müller-Hansen argues the opportunity for PSPs is not to become AI developers themselves, but to partner with software platforms where AI is already embedded across operations.
In his view, the businesses most likely to succeed will be those using intelligent operating systems that integrate estimating, procurement, workflow, logistics, customer experience and operational decision-making into a single connected environment.
This, he says, is where GelatoConnect becomes increasingly relevant as an operating system for modern print manufacturing.
His observations are not theoretical. Gelato’s platform has become a global example of distributed, localised manufacturing powered by software connectivity and automation. The business enables products to be produced closer to the customer through integrated production networks, reducing freight complexity, improving turnaround speed and supporting local manufacturing capability.
Müller-Hansen believes these trends create significant opportunity for the Australian print sector.
Global supply chain instability, increasing freight costs, creator-led ecommerce businesses and consumer demand for personalised products are all accelerating the move towards localised production-on-demand models. What once required large inventory holdings and complex logistics can now be manufactured dynamically, in-market and in smaller quantities.
This evolution is changing the role of print manufacturers.
Rather than simply producing volume, businesses are increasingly becoming technology-enabled production partners capable of servicing ecommerce, creator economies, customisation and short-run manufacturing at scale. The opportunity is no longer limited to traditional commercial print categories. It extends into apparel, packaging, personalised consumer goods, décor, signage and broader production-on-demand markets.
Müller-Hansen argues the scale of this growth is still largely underestimated globally.
“The digital print industry right now is about $160 billion,” he said. “We will add $130 to $140 billion in the coming four years.”
To illustrate the point, he compares print with the music industry.
“The music industry is currently $40 billion,” he said. “The digital print industry is adding three music industries in the coming four years globally.”
Yet despite those numbers, print lacks the cultural visibility and technology narrative enjoyed by companies like Spotify.
Müller-Hansen believes the industry also suffers from a positioning problem.
While technology brands like Spotify have become synonymous with innovation and growth, he argues few outside the sector understand the scale of digital print’s expansion globally.
“No one fully understands the power of digital printing,” he said.
At the centre of this transition is workforce evolution.
Automation and AI are already reshaping print operations globally, from estimating and scheduling to procurement, workflow management and customer service. Tasks that once required significant manual labour are increasingly being handled through integrated software systems and intelligent automation.
For businesses struggling with labour shortages and rising operating costs, automation is rapidly becoming a commercial necessity rather than a future ambition.
Businesses that successfully integrate software, automation and AI into operations will likely be better positioned to address skills shortages, improve profitability and create more scalable operational models.
Müller-Hansen argues this does not diminish manufacturing capability – it strengthens it.
His broader vision is one where manufacturing becomes more localised, more responsive and more sustainable through technology-enabled production networks.
Consumers increasingly expect immediacy, personalisation, ecommerce integration, reliable delivery and simplicity in how they purchase products. Manufacturers who remove friction from ordering, integrate seamlessly into ecommerce environments and simplify customer experience will hold competitive advantage.
Innovation, speed and agility, Müller-Hansen argues, are becoming survival issues for PSPs.
And therein lies one of the key lessons for the print industry globally.
The future growth of manufacturing will not be determined solely by who owns the largest machinery footprint. It will be shaped by which businesses best combine production capability with software intelligence, automation and customer accessibility.
For Australian manufacturers, the opportunity is significant. The industry already possesses strong production expertise, entrepreneurial capability and manufacturing infrastructure. The next phase is about coupling that capability with smarter software investment, automation strategies and digitally connected customer experiences.
The printers most likely to thrive will be those that adapt fastest to changing customer expectations, simplify how print is bought and produced, and focus relentlessly on profitable growth.
For Australian print businesses, the challenge now is less about whether this shift is coming, and more about how quickly they are prepared to adapt to it. AI, automation and software-driven production are rapidly becoming central to the industry’s next phase of growth – and the businesses moving first are likely to help shape what that future looks like.