While the vast majority of visitors at the start of drupa at Day 1 were heading straight for the exhibitors’ booths, there has been an official opening of drupa 2024 at the drupa cube in Hall 6. Apart from presenting the latest drupa song, the drupa organizers reiterated the motto of drupa 2024: “We create the future.” The enabler will be the products shown by 1,650 exhibitors from more than 50 nations, ranging from well-established companies to start-up businesses. The expected main trends for this year are sustainability and digitization, especially in the face of labor shortages and automation.

Andreas Plesske, drupa president and CEO of Koenig & Bauer, is bullish about the future of print and concedes that the printing industry is one of the fastest changing industries globally. An example is the ongoing shift from commercial to packaging print. As the global population rises, print demand is increasing as well. A main driver will be a strong growth of the middle-class, consuming more print and packaging. This growth is mainly taking place in developing economies, however.

Vicky Pryce, global economist, conceded that forecasts failed to predict many major events that disrupted business and society in recent years. The latest research, however, confirms that business confidence is improving, investments are up again, and those investments are driving innovation. This is good news for the printing industry to expect renewed demand and more investments in new production solutions for the printing industry as well.

Throughout drupa, there will be presentations at the drupa cube on opportunities and challenges in print, packaging, and trends driving the demand for print. This should be a welcome opportunity to look beyond the daily business and get updated on trends and technologies.

Complete WhatTheyThink drupa 24 coverage here.