Inside HEIDELBERG China – A Second Wiesloch? · Michael Nilges · Managing Director

Twenty years ago, HEIDELBERG established its manufacturing operation in Shanghai. Today, China has become an essential part of the company’s global production strategy, manufacturing printing presses for both the domestic market and customers worldwide.

INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft visits HEIDELBERG’s Shanghai facility and speaks with Michael Nilges, Managing Director of the Shanghai site, about the development of the Chinese operation, its strategic importance, and what comes next.

Walking through the factory, the similarities to HEIDELBERG’s Wiesloch-Walldorf production facility in Germany are striking. The manufacturing processes, precision, and quality standards are deliberately aligned. But China is also a very different market, particularly when it comes to packaging, where highly customized presses with 16 or even 17 units are not unusual.

Nilges explains why the Speedmaster CX platform is manufactured in Shanghai while the XL series remains concentrated in Germany, how proximity to customers creates advantages in development and service, and why local manufacturing is becoming increasingly important to HEIDELBERG’s global operations.

Perhaps most interesting is the next step: expanding the Shanghai operation beyond manufacturing and assembly into R&D and product management, with ambitions to take greater global responsibility for the CX platform.

The conversation offers a fascinating look at how HEIDELBERG balances German engineering traditions with the realities of the world’s largest printing market, and why Shanghai is becoming much more than simply another production location.

En In China, Tomorrow Is Too Late · Benny Huang · HEIDELBERG · All in Print China 2026

In China, Tomorrow Is Too Late · Benny Huang · HEIDELBERG · All in Print China 2026

Speed, determination, and a strong winning mentality are among the characteristics defining the Chinese printing market. At All in Print China in Shanghai, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Benny Huang, Head of Greater China at HEIDELBERG, about the company's position in one of its most important markets and how Chinese customer expectations are influencing its business. According to Huang, China operates at a different pace from most Western markets. Customers expect immediate responses, rapid decisions, and continuous innovation. For HEIDELBERG, having its own manufacturing facility in Shanghai has become an essential competitive advantage, allowing the company to respond quickly to local demand while maintaining global quality standards. Packaging dominates much of the Chinese offset market, where HEIDELBERG has established a strong position. Demand for increasingly sophisticated configurations, including presses with up to 17 units, reflects the market's requirements for productivity, embellishment, and specialized applications. But China is also changing. Digital printing is gaining ground, and HEIDELBERG is responding with solutions ranging from Versafire and Jetfire to Gallus hybrid technology. Huang emphasizes that technology alone is insufficient. Service, availability, and response times are becoming increasingly important, particularly for digital production environments. The conversation also explores HEIDELBERG's return to All in Print China after many years, this time without exhibiting a printing press. Instead, the company has created a presentation environment focused on technology, innovation, and the future of print. An interesting insight into the Chinese printing industry's pace of development, the growing importance of packaging and digital printing, and why being successful in China requires more than simply having excellent machines.

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Oct 29 , 2026
Heidelberg Graphic Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
9928 Songze Road
201700 Shanghai
Shanghai
China
Tel. : 21 3920 3000
Email : info@heidelberg.com

Thu October 29th

En

In China, Tomorrow Is Too Late · Benny Huang...

Speed, determination, and a strong winning mentality are among the characteristics defining the Chinese printing market. At All in Print China in Shanghai, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft speaks with Benny Huang, Head of Greater China at HEIDELBERG, about the company's position in one of its most important markets and how Chinese customer expectations are influencing its business. According to Huang, China operates at a different pace from most Western markets. Customers expect immediate responses, rapid decisions, and continuous innovation. For HEIDELBERG, having its own manufacturing facility in Shanghai has become an essential competitive advantage, allowing the company to respond quickly to local demand while maintaining global quality standards. Packaging dominates much of the Chinese offset market, where HEIDELBERG has established a strong position. Demand for increasingly sophisticated configurations, including presses with up to 17 units, reflects the market's requirements for productivity, embellishment, and specialized applications. But China is also changing. Digital printing is gaining ground, and HEIDELBERG is responding with solutions ranging from Versafire and Jetfire to Gallus hybrid technology. Huang emphasizes that technology alone is insufficient. Service, availability, and response times are becoming increasingly important, particularly for digital production environments. The conversation also explores HEIDELBERG's return to All in Print China after many years, this time without exhibiting a printing press. Instead, the company has created a presentation environment focused on technology, innovation, and the future of print. An interesting insight into the Chinese printing industry's pace of development, the growing importance of packaging and digital printing, and why being successful in China requires more than simply having excellent machines.