Successful Event for Innovation and Technology
For seventy years, Drupa has been the meeting point for the international print industry. The world-leading trade fair in Düsseldorf invites networking, investing, and trading every four years. Due to the pandemic, it took eight years for the doors in Düsseldorf to open again. This time, team members from robos-labels were present as knowledgeable visitors and took the opportunity to discover and experience the latest developments and innovations in the printing and labeling industry.
Exhibitors and Innovations
Before the pandemic, about 1,900 exhibitors from all over the world attended. This year, the numbers were likely lower, as there were still empty spaces in some halls. Nevertheless, Drupa 2024 was once again an important meeting point for high-profile and innovative exhibitors and a benchmark for the printing and labeling industry. Noteworthy were numerous new printing and processing systems from Asian machine manufacturers and a variety of new machine combinations, the so-called hybrid machines. These combine different digital and analog technologies variably to achieve as few production runs and high flexibility in the manufacturing process as possible.
Versatile Exhibition Focuses
The exhibitors were organized into different categories, with topics related to printing technology, process networking and integration, and print finishing being of great interest to us. While in 2016 the focus was often on technical innovations and noticeable advancements in print resolution, production speed, and degree of automation, this year it was observed that although there are still innovation steps, they occur to a lesser extent. Therefore, the overarching networking of different systems is increasingly coming into focus.
Our visit to this year’s Drupa was successful and particularly inspiring, despite the slightly smaller fair overall. We were able to experience numerous new ideas, software systems, and technologies that will help us in the future to offer even better and tailored labeling solutions to our customers in the technical industrial sector.
Simon Reuter, Managing Director: “The overall situation in the printing and labeling industry is tense due to subdued demand and increased costs in the areas of energy, raw materials, and personnel. Therefore, it was important that Drupa, as an international leading trade fair, has returned and set a sign: our industry is seeking and finding solutions even in difficult times to continue playing a relevant role in the field of labeling and communication for our customers in the future.”
