On May 30 and 31, 2024, the drupa Imaging Summit will address current topics relating to the printed image, its technologies and business cases. Topics such as the future of photographic innovations, image creation with artificial intelligence, the priority of sustainability issues or the clarification of what image quality means for printing will be highlighted. Top-class speakers will give around 20 keynotes on the topics of technology, business, sustainability, innovation and artificial intelligence as well as the special relationship between images, image data and print.

The drupa Imaging Summit will start on May 30 at 11:00 am with “Image Generation via Artificial Intelligence: Tools & Workflows” by Andreas Jürgensen (founder of AI Imagelab | ai-imagelab.de). In his talk, he will answer questions such as: What is the current state of AI-generated images? Which programs are currently relevant - and which ones should you keep an eye on? And in which applications will they become relevant?

At 11:30 am, “Picture This: How AI is Revolutionizing Imaging” by Dennis Oberfeld (Customer Engineer Google Cloud) will discuss Google's powerful AI solutions and how they are streamlining workflows and producing stunning results. He will also talk about upscaling, watermarking and provide practical tools for businesses and creatives alike.

Dr.-Ing. Björn Schwarzbach (Managing Director/COO ORWO NET GmbH) will follow with an overview of how AI is being used in image labs today and in the future, and the innovative business potential it offers with his talk “From Pixels to Print: Leveraging AI for Enhanced Photo Product Quality and Efficiency” at 12:00 pm.

At 12:30 pm, the lecture “AI Unveiled: Navigating Past, Present, and Future in Photo Print Innovation”, will be presented by Sarah Lefebvre (Director of Marketing EyeQ Imaging Inc). She connects the present-day applications of AI to real-life use cases and the impacts they have on the printing industry and will explore the intersection of innovation and practicality at the forefront of AI technology.

The next speaker will be Adrian Rohnfelder (Founder AI Imagelab) at 1:30 pm, who will talk about “The influence of Artificial Intelligence on future print products”. In this highly illustrated and entertaining presentation, he will outline possible print products of the future as a result of the new generative AI possibilities: Changes through AI support for existing products, key social media drivers such as pets and selfies for a flood of AI-generated images and possible consumer wishes for 2D, 3D and 4D printing.

At 2:00 pm, Google Manager Dennis Oberfeld will talk about “Transform at Speed: The Power of Cloud for Digital Innovation”. He will explain how Google Cloud empowers businesses to transform and innovate at an unprecedented pace.

The next presentation “Expanding the expressive capabilities through FUJIFILM’s imaging technology” by Katsuyuki Takada (Head of Ink Development for Inkjet Printers FUJIFILM Business Innovation Co., Ltd.) will start at 3:00 pm. FUJIFILM has developed a new technology to print structural colors using inkjet. This decoration method does not use pigments or dyes. It develops a fine structure that reflects specific wavelengths of light on a substrate by printing. The technology that enables this natural structural color through digital printing has been praised as a technology that greatly expands the possibilities of expression. Katsuyuki Takada will also introduce the audience to the latest technology in metallic colors such as gold and silver.

At 4:00 pm, Stephan Hankammer (Prodekan Alanus Hochschule für Kunst und Gesellschaft, Bonn) will speak about “How do we make companies regenerative?” He is co-founder and scientific director of the Institute for Regenerative Economy (REGWI), professor for sustainable corporate management, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter near Bonn, head of the B.A. program Sustainable Economy, and thought leader for interdisciplinary business approaches to a sustainable regenerative economy.

The next talk will be “Sustainability in the printing industry: From a holistic approach to changing actions” by Henning Ohlsson (founder of Ohlsson Consulting) at 4:25 pm. He was Director Sustainability for Epson Europe, overseeing all ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) activities across EMEA. In 2020, Henning was ranked 9th in the top 100 global CSR influencers compiled by Assent Compliance. Today, he leads a network and think tank of international sustainability consultants.

At 4:45 pm, Andreas Peter Asel (Market and Business Development Manager Circularity Epson Europe) will address the important topic of “Closing the Resource Loop in the Printing Industry”. Andreas is building the new material recycling segment for the printing industry in Europe and driving environmentally conscious solutions. He is a well-known keynote speaker with a proven track record at international conferences.

At 5:10 pm, Jerome Cochet (Co-Founder & MD goodcarbon GmbH) will explain “How to confidently deliver on your net zero and nature positive commitments through high quality carbon credits”. He has a strong business and marketing background, having previously worked for McKinsey & Co and Zalando, where he founded Zalando Marketing Services.

The first day of the drupa Imaging Summit will conclude with a Sustainability Panel with all the speakers at 5:40 pm and an Imaging and Printing Networking Evening at 6:00 pm.

The second day of the drupa Imaging Summit will start on May 31 at 11:00 am with the topic “Photographer meets Print Service Provider” by Jochen Kohl (Managing Director of K2 Studio and Studio 911 and Head of Marketing ILFORD EU). He will provide interesting answers to questions such as how do photographers see their images and how much is this influenced by digital presentation media alone? And how does the print service provider see it?

Peter Hytrek, CEO of DINAX, will speak at 11:30 am about “Ease of use: The key to environmental savings and success in the print business”. Especially in the POS and in-house areas, printing is often done by inexperienced users. Mirage from DINAX is the key to achieving outstanding results with ease and confidence.

At 12:00 pm, Viesus CEO Servi Pieters will highlight the key aspects of “Prints enhanced in the blink of an AI”. He will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the algorithms used by leading names in the photo printing industry to minimize suboptimal prints. Largely unknown to the public, Viesus' AI technology works as an invisible yet powerful force, enhancing millions of images every day with unmatched precision and consistency.

The topic ”How XR will evolve and potentially change our lives” will be presented by Vijay Kishan Rao (Vice President of VCX-Forum e.V. and Mobile Product Manager at Vodafone) at 12:30 pm. With XR, Pervasive Computing and AI, there will be a shift where the interaction between humans and digital entities will take a quantum leap towards an intuitive, inclusive and immersive experience.

“Sustainable Photography with Nikon's Z System” will be the topic of Daniel Ziegert (Manager Professional & Educational Business Nikon Europe BV) at 1:30 pm. Hel will explore the innovative features of Nikon Z cameras and lenses and their role in creating value-added products. Investing in high quality Nikon equipment leads to stunning visuals and promotes sustainable practices.

Why are photos taken with a smartphone so brilliant? The presentation “Computational Photography: More than a single image” by Dietmar Wüller (CEO Image Engineering, President of the VCX Forum) at 2:00 pm will provide the answer. How is it possible that these small cameras are now able to deliver the same and sometimes even better image quality than regular consumer cameras? The answer is "computational photography". Dietmar will explain some of these methods and give an overview of the current technology.

Heidemarie Hinger (Product and Business Development Manager Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH) will reveal the secrets of sustainable paper production in her talk “Sustainable Paper: Nurturing Creativity, Preserving Nature” at 2:30 pm. She will highlight eco-friendly printing practices and success stories that prove that art and environmental protection go hand in hand.

The drupa Imaging Summit will be accompanied by the photo exhibition "1253 m" by photographer Ralf Baumgarten. The exhibition will show photos from the last German coal mine "Prosper Haniel" at a depth of 1253 meters. The exhibition was photographed with two analog Canon F-1 cameras from the 1970s. As part of drupa, the exhibits will demonstrate the visual power of perfectly printed photographs. The DNA of photography as a print medium is to capture decisive moments and bring them to life for the viewer.

About drupa:
With the megatrend topics sustainability and digitalization, the international printing and packaging industry will meet at drupa from May 28 to June 7, 2024, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The world's leading trade fair for printing technologies stands for inspiration, innovation, top-class knowledge transfer and intensive networking. This is where top international decision-makers from the industry meet and exchange views on the latest technology trends and ground-breaking developments. developments.

For further information about drupa 2024, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: [email protected]; Visit www.drupa.com and www.mdna.com. Follow us on https://www.linkedin.com/company/mdnachicago/ 

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