Deborah sat down with drupa’s Vivien Scheffran and Katharina ‘Coco’ Kramer (and I’m there too!) at Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne back in February, to look ahead to drupa 2020 and even further than that with dna.
What will the print industry look like in 10 – 20 years? With drupa, print’s largest global trade fair, coming around in four-year cycles, we often use the previous show or upcoming show as a benchmark for how the industry is adapting.
New initiative dna, ‘drupa next age’, wants to look ahead to what drupa and the global industry will look like a little further ahead, and are on the hunt for innovative startups as well as cutting-edge ideas from established companies.
The idea is to bring both young and well-known companies to the dna special area, which will serve as a collaborative space to share ideas, and also to discuss solutions for growing areas of focus in the industry. We’re talking artificial intelligence and robotics, printed electronics, bio-printing, and environmental concerns.
The outside circle of dna is reserved for the more established companies with an innovative concept to present. If you want to be in the ‘inner circle’, you need to be one of the new kids on the block, with a business active for fewer than five years. The area will be organised by theme, but drupa encourages everyone to seek out areas outside of their main interests, as there will be a lot of innovation to soak up.
Another interesting facet of dna will be their ‘elevator pitches’ (Deborah likened the idea to the show Shark Tank, or Dragon’s Den if you’re from my little island) that will give the newer companies the chance to lay out their vision and established companies that are interested in the concept can look at ways in which the two businesses can collaborate.
Crucially, dna is also keen to partner with universities and colleges, so students can showcase their ideas. You can’t look at the ‘next age’ without getting some input from the people who will be running the show in 10 to 20 years, can you?
There is currently no deadline for getting involved with dna, and if you’re a forward-thinking business with fresh ideas for innovative products and services, nothing should stop you from getting in touch! Go to drupa.com for more information, and you can find application forms here.
Drupa will be taking place from 16th – 26th of June 2020 at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany.
Karis Copp is a UK-based writer, journalist and communications expert. With a background as an editor and public relations specialist in the print industry, she now works on a freelance basis covering events, writing on industry news and trends, and working with businesses to help them tell their stories and connect with their customers. Follow her on Twitter @KarisCoppWrites.
