The company's full-year results showed a 15% upswing in orders for 2010 at €976m (£854m), although sales for the year were down 15% at €942m.

The increase in orders was particularly strong in the BRIC countries, which grew 50% pushing the company's export ratio to 80%.

However, the company expects sales growth to remain moderate, but with a return to operational profitability this year, helped along by a series of cost-cutting measures that will see staffing levels reduced a further 16% to below 6,000 by the end of 2012 – headcount had already been reduced 10% from 2009 figures.

A spokesperson for the company said that the staff reductions would mainly affect production, as the company continued to realign itself with demand, and that the centralisation of back office functions would lead to role duplication which would enable further cuts. The overhead reductions should enable annual savings of €50m a year by 2013, according to the company.

Chief executive Gerd Finkbeiner said: "We are assuming that we will not be able to sustain incoming orders and sales at the levels we had prior to the economic crisis. We have undertaken major financial and operational efforts to adjust our capacities accordingly, and we expect a satisfactory utilisation in the medium term."

Manroland would not divulge pretax figures or current debt, although described the company as having 'nearly no debt'.

The company said it would showcase its partnership with digital giant Océ at the digi:media exhibition in Germany next month, where Heidelberg will also reveal more on its work with Ricoh.