A deadline for submissions to a benchmark survey ahead of the Sunrise 2027 switch to 2D barcodes on packaging is fast approaching, with folding carton converters in the UK and Ireland being urged to take part by the closure date of this Friday, 10 July.

The UK Folding Carton Digital Readiness Index 2026 is intended to give the UK folding carton sector a “clear, honest picture” of where the industry stands on the move to digital production print, variable data workflows and GS1-compliant 2D barcode implementation. It is being coordinated on behalf of Jet Tech Group and Fujifilm UK.

The survey takes no more than five minutes to complete, with responses remaining anonymous in the published findings.

Steve Andrew, managing director at Jet Tech Group, commented: “Folding cartons is a sector in generally good health. Demand is strong, the market is evolving, and converters are as capable as they have ever been.

“But no business can plan confidently on the back of uncertainty, and right now there is a lot of uncertainty about what GS1 Sunrise 2027 actually means at an operational level. The benchmark exists to replace that uncertainty with something the whole sector can work from.”

The results are to be presented at an event called The Next Frontier, taking place on 14 July at the Fujifilm Innovation Centre in Luton. Here, specialists will deliver “insight, practical guidance and honest industry conversation about what the shift to digital and 2D code production means for folding carton businesses”. Sessions are available in the morning and afternoon, and attendance is free. This event will also see the UK debut of the Fujifilm Revoria PC2120 press.

“When we share the results on 14 July, we want the room to recognise itself in the data,” Mr Andrew added. “That only happens if the sector has shown up: large converters and small ones, those well advanced on the digital journey and those just starting to ask the questions. The more voices in this, the more honest and useful the picture becomes for everyone.”

The survey is located here: https://form.typeform.com/to/uvnQfC9b