With the new Innovation Awards, InPrint recognises smart and powerful printing solutions that can help transform the manufacturing sector. Over the past weeks, industry professionals have cast their votes for their favourite entries in two categories: “Innovative Partnerships” for forward-thinking co-operations of companies in the industrial print industry, and “Extraordinary Products” for unusual products made using industrial print technologies.

Large scope of practical solutions
The broad spectrum of award entries shows the enormous scope of practical solutions that are currently being developed to open up new opportunities within the manufacturing industry. All contestants demonstrate a high level of commitment to provide innovative equipment and technologies that help manufacturers improve their automation and production processes, with a focus on creating added value with individualised products and high-quality finishes.

The diversity of technologies portrayed above indicates that industrial print is reaching a new level. “The industry has moved from the initial hype over the sheer potential of new technologies to a more pragmatic and practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges”, says Nicola Hamann, Managing Director at the organisers of InPrint, Mack Brooks Exhibitions. “Consumer behaviour is changing rapidly, calling for customized products that reach the markets faster than ever before. Retailers need a swift and flexible production to meet these demands and improve their business agility. There is a growing community of innovators looking to open up new markets and to form new partnerships that will lead to the development of powerful printing solutions capable of improving manufacturing processes.”

“However, more communication and collaboration between manufacturing professionals and technology suppliers are needed to boost the adoption of new printing technologies. By introducing the InPrint Innovation Awards, we would like to recognise excellence in industrial print and put the spotlight on technologies and partnerships that help optimize fabrication processes and allow on-demand production with better design possibilities”, explains Nicola Hamann.

Award sponsor Ricoh takes a similar view and underlines the importance of the Awards in further promoting the opportunities of industrial print: “Ricoh is delighted to be the first headline sponsor for the InPrint Innovation Awards”, says Graham Kennedy, Head of Commercial Ink Jet Business at Ricoh. “We believe that highlighting excellence and recognising progress is really important with this fast developing technology in order for it to grow and benefit the diverse set of markets it already serves. We look forward to InPrint 2017 and the award ceremony on 14th November and presenting the award to the worthy winners.”

The Innovation Awards Ceremony takes place on the first day of the exhibition, 14 November 2017, at 11.30am at the conference stage in Hall A6.

About InPrint
Now in its 3rd edition, InPrint Germany has established itself as a leading international business platform for the industrial print industry. 152 exhibitors from 19 countries will showcase the latest printing machinery and systems, print heads and components, drying and curing equipment, as well as printing inks, primers and liquid coatings.
The previous show in 2015 attracted 4,724 trade visitors from 65 countries, including technology experts from various manufacturing industries, printing companies, OEMs, integrators, component manufacturers and developers.

InPrint features four key technology streams – speciality, screen, digital and inkjet print – and shows practical solutions in functional and decorative printing on metal, plastics, textile, glass, ceramics, wood and other surfaces. The focus lies on the integration of printing processes into manufacturing lines to allow the optimisation of manufacturing processes, for example in the production of drinks bottles, cosmetics, packaging and clothing, as well as floorings and other interior decoration. The main theme of this year’s event is “Creating value with individualised products” to reflect the trend towards customisation as a response to changing consumer behaviour.

InPrint 2017 Conference
A series of high-quality industry talks and expert discussions will run alongside the show, focusing on key challenges and future developments within the industrial print industry. The sessions will take place on the Conference Stage and at the Forum, both located in the InPrint exhibition hall. The full conference programme is available online.

InPrint Opening Times and Tickets
InPrint 2017 takes place 14 – 16 November 2017 in Hall A6 at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany. The opening times are 9am to 5pm on all three show days. Tickets can be purchased in the Online Ticket Shop, to benefit from a reduced price and quick admission to the exhibition.

Online Show Planner
The personalised Online Show Planner is a handy tool to effectively plan your visit ahead of the show. Visitors can create, download and print their personal choice of exhibitors in three simple steps.

For the latest exhibitor list and information on the exhibition and conference programme, and to access the Online Ticket Shop and Online Show Planner, please visit www.inprintshow.com/germany.