drupa 2024 Major Topics

drupa 2024 Major Topics

It has not been long since the last drupa was held, yet we are looking towards the next one and are planning already to make it the best event it possibly can be! In 2024, the international print industry will meet again at drupa, the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies. drupa stands for inspiration, innovation, top-class knowledge transfer and intensive networking. This is where top international decision-makers in the industry meet and exchange views on current technology trends and groundbreaking developments in the industry.

Sustainability and Digitalization

One of the important questions for the future is: What influence will the megatrends of sustainability and digitization have on processes, products, business models and the future of the industry?

Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa & Global Head Print Technologies Messe Düsseldorf GmbH comments on this:

“We live in a fast-changing world, driven by global megatrends such as sustainability, ongoing digitalization, resource shortage and climate change. How will innovation and new business models keep the industry profitable while moving towards sustainability? Innovations and transformations are driving trends and technologies that also require a new responsibility and new ethics for a more sustainable future. New key technologies drive digital transformation and are continuously unlocking new potentials as they get a hold of all industries and sustainability is a top priority when it comes to production processes and materials as brand owners and end users look for transparency in renewable energy, resource efficiency, mobility and circular economy.”

Digitalization and sustainability have a massive impact on the print industry. drupa shows how cutting-edge technologies and solutions in all areas of the print and packaging industry as well as future technologies and cross-sectional technologies are being further developed under this influence. In Düsseldorf, you will learn how the print and packaging community is shaping the future.

Sustainability also includes topics such as circular economy, recycling/upcycling/recyclability or resource/energy efficiency. Digitalization focuses primarily on topics such as print 4.0/finishing 4.0, artificial intelligence, platform economy, connectivity or automation.

drupa stands for the highest visitor internationality and quality. 75% of visitors are executives with decision-making authority and more than half come with concrete investment intentions. drupa is the No. 1 networking platform. Here, new leads are generated and contacts are intensified. The trade visitors to drupa come mainly from the printing and packaging industry as well as from vertical markets such as consumer goods, luxury goods, cosmetics, banks and security technology.

drupa Conference Program

There will again be touchpoints on highlight topics such as packaging, textile and sustainability. They offer exhibitors and visitors of drupa insights, inspiration and impulses for their businesses and business models of the future.

Valuable knowledge with a top-class lecture program by international speakers is provided by drupa as well. At the drupa cube and at various touchpoints you will gain detailed information into relevant topics as well as solutions for your business model.

• drupa cube (Main stage of the drupa conference program, innovative event and conference program with top international speakers. Participation in the cubes program is free of charge and possible via the regular admission ticket)
• touchpoint packaging
• touchpoint textile
• dna – drupa next age (slightly changed orientation in 2024 – dna offers a platform for their innovations and services with existing exhibitors, the participation of universities and professional colleagues, young companies and start-ups)
• touchpoint sustainability (new format)

Exhibitor Brochure

Environmental protection and sustainability are central components in media production. We have here a brochure that is printed on recycled paper (100% waste paper). Messe Düsseldorf is the client for the climate initiative in Uganda and gets its climate certificate for that. As we deal with the FSC certification regarding the sustainable production of this brochure, we check whether the correct logo has been used and whether it has been used correctly for CO2 compensation. To give an example: We calculate the CO2 pollution caused by the production of the brochure and compensate for this by financially supporting the reforestation project by buying a “certificate”. Here are some other factors that make this new exhibitor brochure sustainable:

• Low-emission production – this is what the print shop implements by, for example, optimizing waste and waste
• Printing house Woeste is certified as a sustainable print shop
• Use of recycled papers with FSC certification
• Mineral oil-free paints
• Coatings: Use of an environmentally friendly dispersion coating with the goal: 100% recyclable brochure

For drupa sustainability starts with this brochure, but will go even further as we get closer to 2024. Geldermann concludes:

“Sustainability is definitely not a new topic for the print industry. On the contrary: the discussion about paper and energy consumption as well as circular economy has concerned the industry intensively for decades and nevertheless they have never attained today’s scale and the corresponding urgency. Sustainability strategies will address current challenges but will definitely also provide space for future opportunities. drupa is the essential global platform for visionary trendsetters, a driving force for solutions and technological developments in the field of future-oriented printing technologies (print & packaging, industrial applications) and an international platform for product launches. From now on, we are building up the momentum and excitement around these highly relevant issues that will be experienced in Düsseldorf in 2024.”

We hope you are as excited as we are for drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf. Tell us what topic or area you are looking forward to the most. We hope to see you there!