drupa 2016 – Touch the Future
May 25, 2016
Mega Trend Print 4.0 and the Digital Networking of Machines and Systems
The leading international trade fair for print and cross-media solutions kicks off with a new strategic focus, improved scheduling over eleven days, a new look and greater frequency running every three years. Under the motto “touch the future” drupa places the industry’s innovative power centre stage and provides a platform for future technologies. The focus is especially on next-generation and highlight themes such as print, packaging production, multichannel, 3D printing, functional printing or green printing.
“With this strategic reorientation and its focus on future and highlight themes we are obviously on the right track. Because the response of international upstream suppliers to the industry has been very good – which was not a given in view of the difficult market environment,” explains Werner M. Dornscheidt, President & CEO at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. To the tune of more than 1,820 exhibitors from 54 countries will give impressive proof of the versatility and innovative power of their sector from 31 May to 10 June 2016 in all 19 Düsseldorf exhibition halls. “International global players and market leaders will present themselves alongside aspiring newcomers and innovative outfits from throughout the world. The complete spectrum of print and cross-media exhibits and topics will be represented. Such a comprehensive 360° view of the entire industry is provided by nobody but drupa,” underlines Dornscheidt.
The mega trend at drupa 2016 will be Print 4.0 as Claus Bolza-Schünemann, Chairman of the drupa Committee and Chairman of the Board at Koenig & Bauer AG explains. “Print 4.0 enables individualisation and personalisation in digital printing. In the face of high-quality packaging and the rapidly diversifying range of solutions in industrial and functional printing this digital networking of machines and systems offers the solution and guarantee for efficiency and competitiveness. Print 4.0 is the mega trend at drupa 2016. This is very clear even at this early stage.”
Added Value: Technical Side Events
The programme of accompanying technical events – including the drupa innovation park, drupa cube, the brands PEPSO (Printed Electronics Products and Solutions), 3D fab + print and “touchpoint packaging” – is a substantial enhancement offering target visitor groups real added benefit.
One of the most important highlight themes at drupa 2016 is packaging production. According to current forecasts, the packaging market will grow to US $ 985 billion by 2018. A dedicated Special Show, “touchpoint packaging” comprising some 30 participating exhibitors, reflects the relevance of this market. This special forum in Hall 12 (Stand B53) has been designed and organised in close cooperation with the european packaging design association (epda), Europe’s leading association of brand and packaging agencies. To cater even better to the special needs of the various user industries, “touchpoint packaging” is divided up into four “future labs” namely “food & beverage”, “non-food”, “pharma” and “cosmetics”.
Another highlight theme at drupa 2016 is 3D printing. The potential of these additive manufacturing technologies for any vertical markets should not be underestimated. “The spare parts business in mechanical engineering or packaging design offer particularly great opportunities for machine producers, users but also print service providers,” says Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa. The touchpoint 3D fab+print featured in Hall 7A (Stand C41) reflects this spectrum. As part of this special show the latest technical developments are presented here as well as visions and exciting examples of best-practice. Technology suppliers & users, exhibitors & visitors, visionaries & practitioners can all meet here for dialogue and drive this exciting subject forward.
Another major future theme at drupa 2016 is functional printing. Across the globe there are many application examples for printed electronics. Touch sensors on furniture surfaces, Bluetooth loudspeakers from paper or conductive inks are no longer science fiction thanks to innovative printing technology. drupa 2016 picks up on this highlight theme not at one but several points:
- Under the PEPSO brands various exhibitors will be represented with stands on the theme of Printed Electronics Products and Solutions.
- The OE-A (Organic Electronics Association) covers the topic with its members at “dip” (Hall 7.0).
- ESMA, the European for Screenprinting, Digitial and Flexoprinting Technologies, addresses this issue with a programme in Hall 6 (Stand C02) and Hall 3 (Stand A70).
- And finally, VDMA (Hall 7A, Stand B13) also offers a number of activities at its “Showcase Industrial Printing” feature.
Impulse-generating innovations and business case studies for process-driven print and publishing solutions are centre stage at drupa innovation park, where young companies and start-ups as well as global players are presented with pioneering solutions. For visitors the so-called “dip” in Hall 7.0 has the hard-to-beat benefit of allowing them to explore trend-setting innovations, solutions and business case studies on an easy-to-manage area. Presentations, lectures and interviews at the “dip energy lounge” round off the ranges displayed by approx. 130 exhibitors.
The drupa cube has opted for a new approach under the heading “Entertaining, Educating, Engaging”. This event and congress programme (Hall 6, Stand D03) will centre on the innovative power of printing and the multi-faceted possible applications of printed products across a multitude of industries and spheres of life. The organisers succeeded in enlisting the multi-national The Medici Group founded and headed by CEO Frans Johannsson as an innovation partner. With his book “The Medici Effect” Johannsson caused a tremendous stir and has been associated with thinking and acting out of the box, known since then as the “out-of-the-box principle”. In addition to two keynotes on 31 May and 2 June the agenda will feature some 60 lectures by international experts.
drupa is open daily from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (on weekends to 5.00 pm). 1-day tickets cost Euro 45 online and Euro 65 purchased at the ticket office. 3-day tickets are available online for Euro 120 (Euro 175 at the ticket office) while 5-day tickets are Euro 190 (Euro 290 at the ticket office). Students and trainees pay Euro 15 online instead of Euro 25 at ticket offices. All drupa tickets include free return trips to the Exhibition Centre by bus, light rail and trains within the networks of the Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Rhein-Sieg (VRS) transport authorities (on non-supplement trains, travelling 2nd class).
More information is available at www.drupa.com