The drupa committee met last week and confirmed Dr Andreas Pleßke, chief executive of Koenig & Bauer AG, as chairman of the body.
The committee reappointed Wolfgang Poppen, managing partner of Freiburger Druck president of “Bundesverband Druck und Medien as his deputy. Both votes were unanimous.
Dr Andreas Pleßke says, “It is a special honour for me to continue to actively help shape the development of drupa as chairman of the drupa committee. The world is changing rapidly, both in technical and political terms.
“Together with the committee we will ensure that drupa constantly develops further to also assert its pole position as a world-leading trade fair for print technologies in future and to orient the industry for the future.”
Wolfgang Poppen says, “drupa is the centrepiece of the industry, a place of innovations and technology launches. The coming months will be used intensively to further sharpen the profile of drupa’s position in 2028.”
Rayne Simpson, sales manager for Koenig & Bauer ANZ, adds, “We are super excited to be playing a part in shaping the future of print globally. Our focus on innovation, collaboration and sustainability will assist our Australian and New Zealand industry develop and be world leaders.”
Strategic reorientation and new members in the committee
As part of the further development of the trade fair, the committee has initiated its strategic process towards drupa 2028.
Organisers say drupa intensely works on an innovative concept that aims to particularly leverage new target groups in a constantly transforming industry and to promote high-calibre knowledge transfer. Alongside the proven trade fair format, they are developing innovative formats with a view to enabling stronger networking within the industry. The focus will increasingly be on brand owners and multipliers.
Due to succession planning and personal changes four new members were included in the committee:
• Markus Hoffmann, executive senior vice president, Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. and chairman of the Printing and Paper Association, VDMA.
• Marcel Martens, general manager Industrial Print EMEA Direct, HP Indigo & PageWide, HP Industrial Printing.
• Thomas Heininger, chief executive MBO Postpress Solutions & chief executive Komori International Europe.
• Peter Voigt, managing director, Perfecta Schneidemaschinenwerk.
Technology trends
A central component of the new strategy is the identification and presentation of relevant technology trends, that determine the future of the print and packaging industry. Topics such as Artificial Intelligence, automation, sustainable printing processes and digital transformation continue to be centre stage in all this.
The drupa committee says it is highly committed, with a clear vision as it prepares the groundwork for the key decisions for drupa 2028. In 12 twelve months’ time, the trade fair will kick off its exhibitor registration again.
Providing impulses for the strategic further development of the leading trade fair
Founded on the first drupa in 1951, the drupa committee and its members comprise equal numbers of exhibitors and visitors. Its task is to consult Messe Düsseldorf on the conceptual and sector-relevant further development of the leading trade fair.
The committee says that personal dialogue with key experts and multipliers on the part of manufacturers and users in this industry is of relevance in times of ongoing change in the industry.
The committee members represent six industry associations:
• Printing and Paper Technology Association (Fachverband Druck- und Papiertechnik) within VDMA
• German Printing and Media Industries Federation, Bundesverband Druck und Medien
• Paper-Processing Trade Associations (Wirtschaftsverbände Papierverarbeitung)
• Paper Industry
• German Printing Ink Industry Association (Verband der deutschen Lack- und Druckfarbenindustrie)
• Flexographic Printing Association (DFTA Flexodruck Fachverband)
The drupa 2028 committee is:
• Dr. Andreas Pleßke, chief executive of Koenig & Bauer, chairman
• Wolfgang Poppen, managing partner, Freiburger Druck. Deputy chairman
• Dr. Ralph Dittmann, managing director, WKS Druckholding
• Werner Drechsler, managing partner, Druckstudio
• Martin Drews, managing director Raw Materials & Circular Economy, in-house counsel, Die Papierindustrie
• Thomas Heininger, chief executive, MBO Postpress Solutions and chief executive, Komori International Europe
• Markus Hoffmann, executive senior vice president, Leonhard Kurz Stiftung and chairman of the Printing and Paper Technology Association within VDMA
• Kirsten Hommelhoff, chief executive officer Bundesverband Druck und Medien
• Dr Martin Kanert, chief executive officer, Verband der deutschen Lack- und Druckfarbenindustrie
• Nicola Kopp-Rostek, managing director, DFTA Flexodruck Fachverband
• Marcel Martens, general manager Industrial Print EMEA Direct, HP Indigo & PageWide, HP Industrial Printing
• Dr Falco Paepenmüller, Executive Board, chief executive officer, Windmöller & Hölscher
• Thomas Pfeiffer, managing director, WPV Wirtschaftsverband Papierverarbeitung
• Thomas Schiemann, managing director, Printing and Paper Technology Association within VDMA – Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau
• Dr David Schmedding, chair Technology & Sales, Heidelberg
• Martin Schorn, director Technical Customer Service News & Retail (N&R), UPM Communication Papers
• Peter Voigt, general maager, Perfecta Schneidemaschinenwerk
