Messe Düsseldorf, the organzier of the world’s leading print and media trade fair drupa, and the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China (PEIAC) will offer a new dedicated platform for the topic of functional printing: the 1-day conference “Functional Printing China” with accompanying table-top presentations will be held for the first time on May 16, 2013 during the China Print trade fair, to take place from May 14 - 16, 2013 in Beijing. The new “Functional Printing China” will be held annually and will include an exhibition area starting in 2014. Conference participants can look forward to a first-class line-up of national and international specialists providing information on current trends, solutions and applications for functional printing and printed electronics. Speakers will include renowned experts such as Wolfgang Mildner (CEO of PolyIC and Board Member at the Organic Electronic Association/VDM), Stan Farnsworth (Vice President NovaCentrix/ USA) and Dr. Martin Schmitt-Lewen (Senior Manager, New Print Applications Research and Development Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG).

“Functional printing in China is in the early stages of very promising developments. Be it in medicine, consumer electronics, in the field of packaging, be it on paper, film, metal, glas or other printing materials – the spectrum of applications for this “bridge technology” opens up completely new markets,” stated Hans Werner Reinhard, Deputy Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf and Chairman of Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. A current study by the China Printing Technology Association forecasts a 21% growth in market volume to EUR 955 million between 2009 and 2016.

The topic of printed electronics already played an important role at drupa 2012: at the drupa innovation park and numerous stands, exhibitors presented innovations and application examples with a high market potential for a wide variety of industries. With the planned special show “PEPSO – Printed Electronics Products and Solutions”, Messe Düsseldorf focuses on this topic at seven of its relevant trade fairs for retail, glass processing, packaging, plastics, printing and medical technology. “As part of our strategy for our international product familiies we want to establish a dedicated platform for functional printing on the Chinese market. In cooperation with our subsidiary Messe Düsseldorf China and PEIAC we will gradually develop this topic, which increases in importance and opens up new potential business,” commented Sabine Geldermann, drupa Director.