--- title: What Will Taiwan's Flexible Packaging Converters Face If They Ignore the FTA Board Election? lang: en source: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/fta-board-nominations-2026/ --- # What Will Taiwan's Flexible Packaging Converters Face If They Ignore the FTA Board Election? *Industry Insights · 2 min read · 2026-09-16* > The International Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has opened nominations for its board. This is not just a personnel change taking place far away in the United States. The board's makeup will directly shape future sustainable-material standards and the pace of digitalization, affecting the real thresholds Taiwanese suppliers face when winning orders and brands apply in procurement **Quick answer:** The FTA board sets priorities for flexographic technology standards and sustainable-material certification ## Why Should a Personnel Change at an International Industry Association Matter to Taiwan's Flexible Packaging Converters? Each seat on the FTA board represents the technical direction and allocation of resources for the flexible packaging industry over the next several years. I've been talking with the owners of several exporting flexible packaging converters, and they all tend to see U.S. industry-association governance as something remote, as if it were just foreigners holding meetings. It isn't. The FTA (Flexographic Technical Association) sets technical standards for flexographic printing and drives certification efforts. Its core members control which issues get priority. That means the conclusions they reach will eventually become attachments to the specifications international brands use when putting work out to bid. When the board decides to prioritize sustainable-material certification or digital hybrid processes, small and midsize printing companies in Taiwan that are still waiting to see what happens may discover, when the orders arrive, that they no longer even qualify to submit a quote. That's the reality. Multinational buyers aren't looking at how new your machines are. They're looking at whether your process complies with the latest guidelines from international industry associations. If you don't normally track the direction of travel at the governance level, by the time a customer knocks with specifications calling for a new eco-friendly ink or substrate, it is usually too late to retool the line. That information gap is often the most direct reason an order is lost. ## Which Key Issues Might the Incoming Board Set as Priorities? The recent, quiet addition of digital categories to the FTA 2027 Awards, along with a pilot program for hybrid processes, suggests that digital hybrid processes and sustainability compliance will unquestionably be the next board's priorities. The industry has already made its position clear: flexo has long since stopped operating in isolation. ・Substantive certification for sustainable materials: As regulations such as the EU's PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) tighten, brands need clear standards to prove the environmental benefits of their packaging. The board will have to provide clearer guidance on material-testing standards. ・Integration standards for flexo and digital: Hybrid processes require new color-management and prepress standards. This directly affects equipment makers' development road maps and in-plant color-matching workflows. Old methods can no longer handle registration issues in a two-process setup. ・A common language for automated quality control: How do we bring new technology into automated color matching and defect detection? This involves the underlying standards needed to connect equipment systems across brands. It is also an unavoidable step toward addressing the skills gap left by veteran technicians. ・Material shifts in flexible packaging: American Packaging Corporation's case has already shown that flexible packaging is becoming mainstream in personal care. The new board will certainly set new rules for the printability of single-material (Mono-material) substrates. ## How Should Flexible Packaging Plants Align Their Organization and Budget with the New Standards? As standards evolve, printing companies have to break out of their existing silos, put a dedicated unit in charge of compliance standards, and give prepress a bigger say in decisions. Just like that person with 38 years in packaging... ## FAQ ### How do FTA flexographic-technology standards affect Taiwan's flexible packaging converters' ability to win export orders? The technical standards and material certifications set by the FTA are often turned directly into attachments to the specifications used by international brands in procurement. Flexible packaging converters that do not meet the latest requirements will lose the ability to quote or bid. Foreign buyers place extreme importance on process compliance. If a company fails to track association standards and adjust its production line in time, it faces a serious risk of losing export orders. ### What key technology trends are expected to shape the FTA's new standards? The FTA's latest direction focuses mainly on substantive certification for sustainable materials, standards for flexo-digital hybrid processes, a common language for automated quality control across equipment, and the printability of single-material (Mono-material) structures. These issues are intended to help packaging supply chains align with environmental regulations in Europe and the United States, including PPWR, and solve problems involving prepress color matching and the loss of on-site technical expertise. ### What consequences will a flexible packaging printer face if it fails to keep up with international industry standards? The printer faces being pushed out of the market for having capacity but no orders, because by the time a customer switches to a new substrate or eco-friendly ink, it is often too late to adjust the production line. International brands choose suppliers first and foremost based on compliance with the latest association guidelines. Simply relying on newer hardware is no longer enough to clear the audit threshold for the green supply chain. ### How should a traditional flexible packaging printer adjust its organization and budget to prepare for new FTA standards? Packaging plants should break down traditional departmental silos, establish a dedicated unit to interface with compliance standards, and give the prepress department greater decision-making authority over color and processes. They should also set aside budget in advance for single-material proofing, digital hybrid process validation, and automated color-matching systems, ensuring they are always ready to take on international green orders with the required compliance capability. --- > HTML version: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/fta-board-nominations-2026/ > MINDS — 麥思印刷整合有限公司 · https://mindsprt.dev