Connected print production: The ecosystem determines which machines are the right ones

These days, nobody just buys a printing press. Instead, new components must fit seamlessly into end-to-end process chains. However, neither a PDF nor a webinar can demonstrate whether they actually deliver the results promised in the brochure within the digital ecosystem of a company’s own operations. Decision-makers want to form their own concrete impression and see how the machine handles their requirements. So suppliers need to be where their customers are looking.

The pace of development is accelerating in engineering firms, software companies and materials development centres. Development cycles are getting shorter, systems are becoming more deeply integrated and B2B customers are precisely calculating whether a new system is worthwhile. Today, nobody running a print shop or packaging business buys a single printing press or an isolated software module anymore. Instead, they consider the entire system and seek automated process chains that integrate seamlessly with their existing IT and production systems.

Technology providers must adapt their traditional sales model to respond to this. In recent years, many have focused primarily on digital formats. However, the B2B audience is now tired of webinar recordings and virtual presentations. All too often, online demos have promised results that cannot be delivered under real production conditions. Anyone making investment decisions worth millions wants to be certain.

In many printing works, there is often a significant discrepancy between senior management's expectations of digitalisation and the reality of production. While individual machines may be highly automated, they are often not connected to each other. The bottleneck is almost always the data flow. Control data must be transferred seamlessly from the management information system (MIS) via the digital front end (DFE) and the pre-press stage to the printing presses. This applies to offset and flexographic printing, industrial inkjet systems, and toner-based laser printing for small, flexible batches, not to mention subsequent finishing processes. Whether this is feasible only becomes apparent when the entire chain is under load.

Furthermore, print and packaging production involve applied physics and chemistry. It is not yet possible to reliably test on a monitor the extent of dot gain on the exact paper specified in the order, how highly pigmented inks flow at maximum web speed or how new, recyclable substrates react.

This is precisely why drupa is turning exhibition stands into test beds. The GROW experience zone focuses on end-to-end solutions. Here, suppliers demonstrate how their machines and systems fit into integrated workflows. AI proves its worth in continuous operation here. Prospective buyers get to see the equipment in action and experience how it responds to specific requirements, rather than just reading data sheets. Buyers can clarify any queries they have through direct dialogue with suppliers while the machine is running, which gives them a clear understanding of how it meets their needs. This provides buyers with the reassurance they need before making an investment.

This effort is worthwhile for exhibitors because senior executives approach them of their own accord – executives whom their sales teams would otherwise have to chase after. Visitor data from drupa 2024 also demonstrates this: 

• 78 per cent of trade visitors are personally responsible for investments or have a say in the decision-making process.
• 57 per cent arrive with specific purchasing intentions.
• 80 per cent travel from abroad, from a total of over 170 countries.
• More than six in ten visitors are in top management positions.

So exhibitors aren’t talking to second-tier staff on site. They’re sitting around the table with the people who decide on global production capacities and sign long-term supply contracts.

This direct access to the world of brands is no longer limited to printing and packaging companies. In fact, the balance of power within the value chain is currently shifting. These days, it is rarely print service providers who drive the development of new equipment and materials. Instead, the impetus now comes from the very beginning of the chain: international brand owners, packaging strategists and creative agencies. They determine what anti-counterfeiting finishes should look like, how the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) requirements are to be implemented and how the Digital Product Passport code should be placed on the packaging.

This offers exhibitors a tangible advantage: 72 per cent of the world’s most valuable brands use drupa as a benchmark. Exhibitors in the CREATE cluster have direct access to these decision-makers, giving them an information advantage when it comes to new accounts.

In mechanical engineering and software development, changes in brand requirements often take time to filter through, occurring in stages. At drupa, they can find out first-hand what brands are demanding, allowing them to incorporate this information into their planning at an early stage.

After all, it is the sharing of knowledge and experience alongside sales discussions that makes exhibiting at a trade fair valuable. When consumer goods companies collaborate with specialists in packaging concepts, specialty inks, B2B print media (including high-end finishes and point-of-sale displays) and functional labels to develop solutions, technology becomes much more than just a cost factor;  it becomes a tool that enhances brand value and opens up new possibilities. Exhibitors thus rise to the occasion and become strategic partners to brands.

The product passport and the PPWR are just two examples of how external factors influence companies’ decisions. The EU Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) and the expanded reporting obligations under the CSRD force companies to adapt constantly. Those purchasing equipment today therefore require not only the best hardware, but also process expertise and legal certainty.

The LEARN cluster focuses on knowledge, standards, the circular economy, and practical experience. Sustainability in production is one of the topics and which production areas are already using new technologies, such as printed electronics, for smart packaging.

Exhibitors have the opportunity to share their expertise here, for example on INGEDE-compliant de-inking in offset and screen printing, automated colourimetry, or operational sustainability management systems, thus establishing themselves as experts. Through co-creation formats and dialogue with the research community, trust grows and suppliers gradually become partners.

Whether it's deals being made in GROW, brand projects in CREATE, or knowledge being transferred in LEARN, it all ultimately relies on people getting to know each other personally and trusting each other. This trust is built through interaction that sometimes extends beyond purely technical matters, and drupa creates opportunities for this. Under the PLAY label, it promotes digital and analogue interaction with people on site and around the world. It is in the In-Motion zones, at evening events and in off-the-cuff conversations that the foundations are laid for OEM partnerships, interface alliances and industry standards.

The combination of technical expertise, vision for the future and sense of community makes drupa a magnet for the next generation. Here, start-up founders, students, and newcomers to the industry meet established market leaders. This gives rise to discussions on an equal footing, which often falter in everyday life due to formal barriers. Exhibitors can present themselves as employers here and attract talent from the fields of software development, engineering and design.

It is rarely possible to determine whether a machine is suitable simply by looking at its technical specifications. This depends on various factors, such as compatibility with the company’s IT systems, alignment with the brand’s requirements, and compliance with regulations from Brussels. For machine manufacturers, as well as suppliers of materials and software, merely claiming that their product solves customers’ problems is no longer enough. Customers want to see for themselves and be convinced in face-to-face discussions before making decisions that will have an impact for decades to come. The reward for this effort is a focused, direct exchange with decision-makers. 

When the entire value chain – from raw material producers and machinery manufacturers to software developers and global brand groups – comes together at drupa in Düsseldorf from 9 to 17 May 2028, it will be much more than just a trade show. This is where companies will forge partnerships and set the standards that will shape the ecosystems of the coming years. Those who establish a strong presence here will influence their future market position.

 While individual presses are highly automated, they often operate in isolation. The real bottleneck on the shop floor is data flow. Control data must travel flawlessly from the management information system (MIS) through the digital front end directly to the press. Buyers no longer want standalone hardware; they demand integrated process chains that slot smoothly into their existing IT infrastructure.

The push for new packaging lines now starts at the very beginning of the value chain. Brand strategists dictate the rules: they demand secure finishing techniques and define where the Digital Product Passport (DPP) sits on the packaging. Manufacturers and software developers who engage directly with these decision-makers in the CREATE cluster anticipate market demands early, turning them into strategic partners for global brands.

Directives like the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) and the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) are forcing companies to adapt. Production must guarantee legal compliance. Consequently, buyers are investing in legal certainty and process knowledge alongside physical machines. In the LEARN cluster, they evaluate exactly how systems execute tasks like INGEDE-compliant de-inking or automated colour metrics.

Printing and packaging rely on applied physics and chemistry. A screen presentation cannot prove how recyclable substrates behave under full load or how dot gain reacts on a specific uncoated paper. In the GROW cluster, decision-makers watch machinery run. They verify the physical output under near live production conditions before signing multi-million-euro contracts.