drupa cube to Feature Over 50 Sessions at drupa 2024

Whether you want to learn about megatrends in international business, innovations in smart packaging, or strategies for the circular economy, you will find it at the drupa cube where thought leaders will present and discuss the future of the printing and packaging industry and the trends that impact it. With more than 50 sessions, the drupa cube is the central conference forum at drupa 2024, which takes place from 28 May to 7 June in Düsseldorf. 

On the inaugural day, drupa cube opens at 11.15 am with a keynote from renowned economist and business consultant Vicky Pryce, examining global economic trends and future forecasts. She will provide insights into the economic challenges and opportunities facing us and discuss how companies of all sizes can remain adaptable and develop and maintain a growth mindset in uncertain times. Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser and a board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), and Visiting Professor at BCU and King’s College London.

Business Boosters: new approaches to processes, sales, and marketing

If you seek insights into business development and management, the Business Booster sessions are a ‘must attend’. The presentation by Yasunori Ogawa, President and CEO, Seiko Epson Corporation, on the print industry in the digital age is eagerly awaited. Ogawa will provide his unique insights into the present and future of the industry, talk about the growing importance of sustainable solutions; he will describe how Epson’s culture, history, and mindset are at the forefront of the next print revolution.

New industry standards in automation are the core theme for Gershon Alon, Head of HP PrintOS at HP Indigo. Alon will talk about the future of automated print production in the forum. With complex, labour-intensive processes, limited capacity, and long delivery times, he will address the need to automate the entire production line beyond the press.

30 years ago, software had a different status than it does today, where it is practically impossible to exist without an online presence. iChannel Founder and Managing Partner Bart van der Horst will explain how to reliably manage and scale a business against the backdrop of the Digital Age.

Peter van Teeseling, Executive Director at Dscoop, will lead a session that promises to highlight the full potential of communities for business. The focus will be on strategies for effective networking and building partnerships in the printing industry for future mutual success.

How to attract and retain staff will be the topic of Charles Jarrold, CEO at the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), looking at the core elements of an effective apprenticeship programme and key learnings from the BPIF’s experience.

Marcus Timson, Co-founder at FuturePrint, will speak about the crucial role storytelling can play in business growth and how compelling narratives can help build trust for companies and inspire action from customers. Frazer Chesterman, the other Co-founder of FuturePrint, will also host a Business Booster session on how to generate ideas and launch new innovations.

Enrico Barboglio, Director, ACIMGA, and Sara Alexander, Marketing & Communication Manager Flexible Packaging at BOBST, will focus on the role of substrates in marketing. The session is aimed particularly at print professionals who want to support brand owners in their search for new approaches and innovative ideas.

Kellie Northwood, CEO at Visual Media Association, will explain as to how you, as a print and packaging supplier, can increase market share and revitalise sales as a “trusted adviser” and consultant to your clients.

Circular economy and sustainability: from carbon footprint to environmental standards

In drupa cube’s sessions on circular economy and sustainability, experts will provide practical, actionable advice on some of the biggest issues of our times. On the first day, Mark Fabisch, Head of Environment and Safety at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA; Lisa Faratro, Director of Environment and Sustainability at CPI Group; and Beatrice Klose, Secretary General at Intergraf will discuss how best to calculate the carbon footprint of print products.

Yujing Pan, Subject Matter Expert in Product Compliance at Enhesa, will discuss the environmental regulations and compliance landscape with environmental and product standards for printing and packaging production in Asian countries. The focus on regulatory requirements will be continued by Jonathan Graham, Past Chairman of Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), and will also host a panel including Yujing and keynote speaker Calvin Lakhan, Research Scientist & Co-investigator: “The Waste Wiki” – Faculty of Environment and Urban Change at York University, to discuss strategies for effectively navigating environmental regulations.

Dr. Lakhan’s workshop on “Smarter Labelling” will examine how clear and informative product labelling can influence consumer behaviour, particularly with regard to sustainability and waste management. His keynote presentation, also in the second week of drupa, will address the language that we use to communicate sustainable values and how cultural differences in understanding and attitudes should influence our approach.

In the panel “Fit for Recycling – How Ink Enables the Circular Economy”, Ewald Rempel, Technical Application Director Packaging Solutions EMEA at Sun Chemical, and Alina Marm, Head of Global Sustainability & Circular Economy at Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, will discuss the crucial role of inks and coatings for recyclable packaging.

Trends and Forces: business in the new environment

There are various presentations at drupa cube on the topic of Trends and Forces that give insights into the major forces at play – be they economic, digital, or demographic – delivering new, innovative business models and opportunities for companies to grow and develop further. A not to be missed session with Henrik Müller-Hansen, CEO & founder, Gelato, will highlight new growth opportunities for manufacturers in the age of the creator economy. Gelato, a software company from Norway, enables local production through the world’s largest on-demand production network, connecting over 130 production sites and 50 transport companies in 32 countries. With this backdrop and a background in IT, Müller-Hansen will explain the importance of agility, speed, personalization, and sustainability, driven by the growing importance of e-commerce and platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, and how these factors are changing the print industry.

Print & Packaging Future: from sustainable printing inks to printed electronics

The Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A) will be at drupa cube with many inspiring presentations. The leading international industry association will provide insights into printed electronics technologies, and intelligent packaging. In his panel “Technologies and Applications” on 6 June, Managing Director Dr. Klaus Hecker will highlight the latest trends and technologies in flexible and printed electronics, covering topics such as energy storage, IoT smart labels, and advanced printing techniques. Gerhard Domann, Head of Application Technology at Fraunhofer ISC, will present the latest results of the EU-funded CircEl-Paper project in his session “Progress Towards Manufacturing of Paper-based Printed Circuit Boards”. Hui Lee, President of E Ink Corporation, will explain how ePaper displays will revolutionise the role of packaging.

drupa cube will also feature forward-looking presentations for the packaging sector, including from Noam Zilbershtain, VP & General Manager, HP Indigo. The audience can expect a visionary perspective on the enormous potential of digital printing and its transformative capabilities.

Dr. Vroni Walter, Head of Innovation and Technology at Epple Druckfarben AG, will delve into the topic of sustainable printing inks. And Dr. Peter Wülfert, Technical Director, Sun Chemical Group GmbH, and Dr. Evert Delbanco, Director Food Safety & Toxicology at Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, will give an overview of the global regulations for printing inks on food contact materials (FCM) and explain how they are working to ensure safety when printing food packaging.