To date, the pandemic has been brought under effective control, and many domestic enterprises have gradually shifted their strategies, stepping up efforts in digitalization and intelligent technologies and gaining a deep appreciation for their transformative power. In the post‑pandemic era, more industries will join this trend—ranging from apparel and machinery manufacturing to food and household goods. For upstream sectors like food processing, automated packaging machinery is poised to seize a new wave of rapid growth. The recently popular fresh‑produce vegetable packaging machines and automated real‑time label‑printing systems are just small yet telling signs of the packaging automation industry’s ongoing advancement.

　　Why has automated packaging machinery experienced rapid growth during the pandemic? First and foremost, the replacement of manual labor by industrial automation is an inevitable trend in societal development—advanced technologies render outdated practices obsolete, and machines are increasingly taking over human tasks. For the packaging industry, the pandemic has merely served as a catalyst, accelerating the timeline for intelligent transformation. If a new solution can reduce repetitive manual work and lower operational costs, while also boosting efficiency and lightening the workload—producing consistently high‑quality, precisely controlled products without any human intervention—then its disruption of traditional practices becomes virtually inevitable.

　　Why has the pandemic accelerated the advent of the intelligent and industrial automation era?

　　For manufacturing enterprises with low levels of automation and heavy reliance on manual labor, the impact has been particularly pronounced. With some workers unable to report to work on time and no one available to fill their roles, production lines remain stalled, forcing companies to cut capacity or even shut down entirely. The extensive use of manual operations further increases the risk of COVID‑19 transmission.

　　For enterprises with a high degree of automation, losses are significantly lower. With extensive use of automated equipment on the production line, labor requirements are sharply reduced; only a small team is needed to operate or monitor the machinery, ensuring smooth production while effectively balancing resumption of operations and protective measures.

　　In the post‑pandemic era, many people have developed the habit of online shopping. Beyond everyday essentials, even vegetables and fruits are now purchased online or through group‑buying platforms—no wonder several tech giants scrambled to dominate the community‑grocery‑delivery market recently. With the rapid growth of fast food, fresh produce, and e‑commerce, the automated packaging industry is poised to enter a period of explosive expansion in the post‑pandemic landscape.