Xaar, a provider of printheads and inkjet technology, has announced it has surpassed £100K in donations for its charity partner, Break. Xaar Group employees have reportedly raised £50,000 via various fundraising activities with the company then match-funding their efforts. The money has been raised for Break, a charity which works across East Anglia to make life better for young people on the edge of care, in care, and leaving care. Employees across Xaar and Megnajet, the latter of which is part of Xaar Group, have embraced a variety of different fundraising initiatives including marathons, the Three Peaks Challenge, and an organised skydive. 5 www.printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2025 - Issue 355 INDUSTRY / NEWS The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has held another successful Annual Networking Lunch, which took place on June 19th in a very sunny Birmingham. The annual event forms part of the IPIA’s efforts to drive growth for the UK print industry and foster collaboration in its supply chain. Hosted at the Marco Pierre White restaurant on the top floor of The Cube Hotel in Birmingham, more than 100 print professionals came together to enjoy a three-course meal, drinks, and networking opportunities. In order to maximise networking potential, guests at the event are asked to rotate tables between courses. After the meal, IPIA chair and director of Abbott Print, Alasdair Browne, took to the stage to talk about the importance of human interaction, live events, and share the projects the IPIA is championing to promote industry growth. Speaking to Print Monthly, IPIA general manager, Brendan Perring, says: “The IPIA Annual Networking Lunch is all about creating the right environment for our guests to make valuable connections. It’s a relaxed, enjoyable setting – but with real purpose behind it. "What stood out again this year was the quality of conversations taking place – whether between potential collaborators, suppliers, or customers. There’s huge value in stepping away from the day-to-day and taking the time to talk, listen, and share ideas.” Industry members gather for annual IPIA lunch This year’s event took place at the Marco Pierre White restaurant in The Cube Hotel, Birmingham BPIF Q2 outlook shows confidence “depressed not destroyed” Output levels were marginally above forecasted levels in Q1 The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) has described confidence in the printing and packaging industries as being “precariously positioned”, with marginally negative order numbers below forecasted levels. According to the association’s Q2 outlook for the UK printing and packaging industries, output and order performance in Q1 was close to the subdued forecasts previously predicted. The outlook also highlights that for the second successive quarter more companies decreased than increased employment levels, with intentions for Q2 also predicted to be more negative. Charles Jarrold, chief executive of BPIF, says: “Our members have been clear; they are crying out for government to start supporting businesses, reducing the cost, regulatory, and compliance burden they face, and make it easier for them to invest in both skills and technology. By David Osgar FESPA has outlined its new corporate vision, dubbed FESPA Future, which details how it aims to inspire, connect, and support its community beyond its global exhibitions. FESPA has kickstarted the launch of its strategy by releasing its FESPA Future manifesto, which provides predictions on the evolution of its community and highlights the elements which it will focus on investing in. Among the core focuses of the association will be its 37 global member associations, educational programmes, youth engagement, and digital transformation. The launch of its new charity initiative, The FESPA Foundation, is another key focus, along with a range of other grassroots initiatives. FESPA announces new corporate vision £100K donated by Xaar to charity partner UPM invests over £8.4m in speciality paper mill Material solutions manufacturer, UPM, has announced that its speciality papers division will invest over €10m (£8.4m) in the modernisation of its Tervasaari mill in Valkeakoski, Finland. The investment aims to allow UPM Specialty Papers to boost capacity and improve production stability in its specialised products, such as glassines and flexible packaging papers. The Tervasaari mill has a capacity of 300,000tpa of glassine papers and packaging papers, employing over 300 people. The modernisation project, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2026, will include a rebuild of the mill’s paper machine drying section and the upgrade of its steam system upgrade. By Jonathan Pert David Osgar Staff at Xaar celebrating surpassing £100,000 in donations to Break By Jonathan Pert The Tervasaari mill is situated approximately 90 miles from Helsinki Neil Felton, CEO of FESPA, discussing the federation's new vision
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