The drupa trade fair will set key trends in the global printing industry from June 16 - 26, 2020 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. With its strong exhibitor registration, drupa underlines its unique position as the most relevant and important platform for the global printing industry. Some 1,800 exhibitors from 50 countries are expected to showcase their products at the event.

The top five exhibitor nations to date are Germany, Japan, Italy, China and Great Britain. Exhibitors range from global industry players to ambitious small companies and promising start-ups, all representing the entire value chain. A total of 30% are new exhibitors. For the current exhibitor list, visit www.drupa.com.

drupa 2020 will occupying all halls of the Düsseldorf exhibition center, clearly structured in the following product groups:
1. Prepress / Print
2. Premedia / Multichannel
3. Post press / Converting / Packaging
4. Future Technologies
5. Materials
6. Equipment / Services / Infrastructure

“drupa stands for cutting-edge technologies and solutions that reach target groups in a wide range of markets. It has become very apparent in recent years that the appeal of print products is growing as the technology steadily advances. Print is conquering new dimensions with haptic elements, innovative materials and finishing techniques that engage the senses in previously unknown ways for an entirely new experience. Also, global trends such as the circular economy, artificial intelligence, the platform economy and connected consumers are forces that will have a growing influence on processes in the industry,” commented Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa and Global Head of Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf.

The various megatrends will not only be addressed at the exhibitors’ booth but also in special forums: drupa cube, dna - drupa next age, touchpoint packaging, touchpoint 3D fab+print and touchpoint textile. They provide a unique setting for exchanging knowledge and experiences that reflects the competence and creativity of the industry.

drupa cube: educate - engage - entertain
drupa cube, the conference and event program in Hall 6 will focus on the innovative power of print and its diverse applications in a variety of industries and areas of life. Events will address technologies such as printed electronics, creative multichannel applications and the use of digital printing in conventional segments (packaging and vertical markets). The drupa cube’s interdisciplinary approach bridges the gap between creative agencies, brand owners and industry across numerous markets.

Speakers will not only include exhibitors, but also leading decision-makers from other industries. Bestselling author and global consultant Michael Gale will give critical insight into these issues in his capacity as thought leader and innovation partner. How can business processes be completely overhauled? How can outdated thinking patterns be overcome? How can an entire company be transformed? Companies of every size have to develop clear and proactive visions for the future. The drupa cube responds to this need with diverse events, including keynote speakers, CEO roundtables, executive think tanks and brand stories.

dna – drupa next age
dna stands for “drupa next age”. This special show will be dedicated to future topics in the industry and to encourage a productive exchange of experiences between global players, start-ups and innovative SMEs. Based on the Start-Up Area in the former drupa innovation park (dip!) and embedded in a new space concept, it will give innovators from the start-up scene an opportunity to introduce new product ideas, services and strategies for relevant cross-cutting technologies, be it in form of best practices or business case studies.

touchpoint packaging
Packaging printing continues to be a sector with tremendous growth potential. At drupa, its market relevance will be reflected in the special touchpoint packaging forum. In collaboration with the European Packaging Design Association (epda), touchpoint packaging will serve as a stage for presenting the future world of packaging, especially packaging design. The concept centers on the question of how global megatrends that shape our society also influence tomorrow’s packaging solutions. Examples include new substrates, customer-specific solutions that reduce environmental impacts, networked packaging and more. To provide adequate answers to these questions, a steering committee of selected industry partners has been established for the first time in order to compile new findings from all points along the value chain. The members come from all segments of the packaging process: design represented by the EUROPEAN BRAND AND PACKAGING DESIGN ASSOCIATION (epda); packaging production represented by AGFA, BOBST, ESKO, HEIDELBERG, HP INDIGO, KURZ and SIEGWERK; and brand owners represented by DANONE and NESTLÉ.

International design students from the NABA Academy of Art and Design in Milan and other leading colleges will also contribute their unique angle on visionary packaging solutions. On the industry side, the panel of experts will come from BST ELTROMAT, CLOUDLAB, DALIM, EFI, KODAK, KOENIG & BAUER, KONICA MINOLTA, SAUERESSIG, WERK II and MERCK.

Visitors can look forward to a presentation of specially developed prototypes incorporating innovative design and packaging solutions, which were developed in response to the needs and demands of future consumers and brand owners. .

touchpoint 3D fab+print
The tremendous potential of additive manufacturing as a future-oriented, cross-cutting technology will be another leading topic at drupa 2020. The touchpoint 3D fab+print forum will expand on what exhibitors are showing, covering the industry’s entire range and including presentations on state-of-the-art technologies as well as best practices. For the first time, the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Association will be responsible for content design and implementation of the lecture program.

“We want to introduce interested drupa visitors to additive technologies and their advantages for manufacturing machinery components, spare parts or tooling, and give them realistic assessments of the current and future possibilities of additive processes,” said VDMA Project Manager Dr.. Irene Hassinger. The first items on the agenda are already set: Prof. Gert Witt, head of the Production Engineering Department at the University of Duisburg Essen, and Dr. Stefan Kleszczynski, head of that university’s Rapid Technology Centre (RTC), will present additive technology and its future potential.

“One topic we are focussing on is the automation and networking of additive process chains,” added Dr. Hassinger. The objective is to show concrete examples and the lectures will therefore highlight individual processing steps along the value chain.

Main topics will include applications in printing and paper technology, such as the additive manufacturing of high-performance components and spare parts for printing presses, as well as the options available to print shops for expanding their services to include 3D printing.

touchpoint textile
This new forum will be dedicated to the potential of digital textile printing as a source of growth in new business fields. touchpoint textile will bring together companies in different industries, giving them a creative space for inter-industry collaboration, new projects, product and manufacturing ideas, which can be implemented in a micro factory.

The leading partner of the touchpoint textile forum is Europe’s largest textile research center, the German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research (DITF). Together with partners from various industries, DITF will give a live demonstration of a digital textile micro factory, including a fully networked supply chain from the customer to the finished product.

New services at drupa 2020
In addition to the special forums, investments have also been made in updating infrastructure and adding new services for customers: A new trade fair app, a matchmaking tool, a new online ordering system and a new way finder for better navigation on the fairgrounds are available. Both exhibitors and visitors can now plan a day at the trade fair easier and more efficient.

Düsseldorf becomes drupacity
The entire city of Düsseldorf will be transformed into drupacity from June 16 – 26, 2020, giving visitors a welcome change of scenery after a long day at the trade fair. The restaurants, hotels and shops will offer an impressive hospitality concept to ensure a good balance between business and relaxation.

The opening times for drupa 2020 are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm during the week and from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on the weekends For up-to-date information on drupa 2020, the accompanying program and special forums visit www.drupa.com. 

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at drupa 2020, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: [email protected]; Visit www.drupa.com and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago. 

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