49 www.signlink.co.uk June / July 2025 - Issue 259 range of different possibilities for corrugated, packaging, signage, commercial print, and textile applications. This focus on diversification and different markets was also evident in the increased presence of manufacturers of finishing equipment such as Plockmatic, Zünd, and Kongsberg, all of which showed solutions for packaging and point-of-sale (POS). A manufacturer which also focused on the bridge into packaging was Electronics For Imaging (EFI) which demonstrated a range of its hybrid, flatbed, and roll-to-roll printers on its stand. On the Smarthub section of FESPA, Kerry Sanders, vice president of market development at EFI, presented “The Power of Personalisation: Transforming Corrugated Packaging with Right-Sized, On-Demand Digital Printing”. In a presentation to the media, EFI highlighted its single pass technology such as the EFI Nozomi 1400 range which has been used to great success by UK company – Caps Cases, a multi-site manufacturer of corrugated cardboard packaging. EFI sees the EFI Nozomi as representing a “convergence” of packaging and sign and display solutions with LED, water-based, and digital inkjet systems made for the corrugated, display, and metal packaging sectors. Also showcasing new solutions with its new Generation 5 models, swissQprint also focused on quality, applications, and potential new markets with its stand at FESPA. Speaking on the stand to Erskine Stewart, managing director of swissQprint UK, Stewart highlighted the global audience of FESPA as well as the many UK visitors that made their way to Berlin. “This has been the first time we have been able to show our Gen 5 platform to a larger audience which has been really exciting but also the many applications and benefits that swissQprint offer.” Stewart also emphasised a lot of conversations around sustainability which swissQprint was able to answer with the energy efficiency of its presses. More standouts of the swissQprint stand were the creative uses of swissQprint technology such as the company’s unique neon room and its haptic and visual effects including colour shifts and pyramid shapes. The company’s commitment to innovation was rewarded in Berlin as it took home two EDP Awards which recognised the company’s 5th generation Nyala flatbed printer as well as its pyramid printing technique. Celebrations in the Industry Elsewhere at Messe Berlin, Mimaki Europe was celebrating 50 years of Mimaki with a stand that celebrated the company’s Japanese roots. The company also celebrated Arjen Evertse’s promotion to director sales along with his appointment to the Mimaki Europe Board of Directors, making him the first ever locally appointed member of the board. Speaking of the appointment, Evertse says: “This new role coincides with an exciting phase of Mimaki’s evolution, where the regional Mimaki businesses will be even more aligned with the global sales strategy and implement new team structures to support changing market demands. “After over 20 years with Mimaki, I have witnessed the business lead and inspire change across the industries we serve. Now, in our 50th year, it’s the ideal time to look to the future and adapt our strategy to meet the new demands of the market – many of which we have been instrumental in creating. Our vision now is to support the needs of a more diverse, flexible print industry.” Solutions on the Mimaki stand included the new Mimaki UJV300DTF-75, the JV200-160, the Tx330-1800, and Mimaki’s recently launched ELH and ELS inks. The JV200-160 uses eco-solvent inks and is said to offer reliable signage production and “outstanding” print quality. The Tx330-1800, which is equipped for the textile and apparel markets, is equipped with a dual ink set capability in order to switch between textile pigment inks and dye sublimation inks. On the second night of FESPA, Mimaki held a 50th anniversary celebration at Spindler & Klatt riverside venue in Berlin, where Mimaki staff, resellers, and the media were invited to celebrate the company’s milestone as well as witness a selection of awards handed out to the company’s most successful partners. Mimaki Europe says it has now implemented a new strategy that enables further “horizontal growth” with the opening up of new markets for customers, as well as “vertical growth” for entry-level and industrial scale print production. The manufacturer also used the event to talk about its new ‘print different’ ethos which has been created in order to encapsulate Mimaki’s legacy of new technologies, but also its commitment to driving creativity, differentiation, and sustainability. Speaking on the stand, general manager of marketing and product management at Mimaki Europe, Danna Drion, said: “When I look at back our fifty years as a company I think we’ve really grown into a global player. Originally we were a Japanese technology company, but in the last 25 years we have restructured to reach people around the world with our innovations, offering something new and different for everyone. “Just as important now is our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility which we are showing in our products and the way we work. When I first joined the company, Mimaki really had the urge to move forward and that is reflected in our global sales alignment, business development departments, and e-learning programmes.” Drion recently gave herself the personal commitment to ensure she drove diversity within the industry and in Mimaki. Two This has been the first time we have been able to show our Gen 5 platform to a larger audience which has been really exciting ▲Fujifilm’s wideformat division used FESPA to showcase its new HS3000 press which is made in collaboration with Barberan EVENTS / FESPA REVIEW
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