The packaging factory of 2027 will look materially different from the packaging factory of 2020. Collaborative robots are moving from specialist applications into mainstream line operations. AI-powered vision systems are replacing manual quality inspection. Automated guided vehicles are displacing forklift fleets. The leadership implications are profound.
What Is Actually Changing
The automation revolution in packaging is not homogeneous. Three distinct waves are creating different talent demands:
- Wave 1 — Palletising and materials handling (mature): well-understood, reliable, and largely HR-neutral in terms of leadership skill requirements
- Wave 2 — Line automation and cobot integration (current): requires operational leaders who can manage the human-machine interface, lead change management programmes for workforce transition, and speak the language of automation engineers and line operators simultaneously
- Wave 3 — AI-driven process optimisation (emerging): requires leaders who can make data-driven operational decisions, challenge AI-generated recommendations intelligently, and build analytical capability in their teams
The Skills Gap
The operational leader who can manage all three waves simultaneously — and who also has the people leadership skills to bring a workforce through a significant technology transition — is genuinely rare. CHI has seen a 67% increase in briefs that specifically mention “automation experience” as a requirement since 2021. Candidates with that specific combination of operational, technical, and people leadership skills are commanding significant salary premiums.