Looking to take advantage of opportunities in the global digital textile market, Epson has acquired Fratelli Robustelli, Italian textile print technology manufacturer. Craig Heckenberg, general manager for the business division at Epson Australia, says, “This is an exciting development for Epson in Australia and New Zealand. The market for high-quality digital textile printing is expanding and acquiring Robustelli puts us in a great place to meet the technology needs of the growing numbers of customers who are seeking to leverage the advantages of advanced digital solutions that will help drive their businesses forward.†Epson says the deal will allow Robustelli to leverage Epson’s manufacturing capability to bring the advantages of its digital inkjet textile printers to more customers around the world. It adds that the move will assist Epson in using Robustelli’s expertise to accelerate the development of digital inkjet textile printers that further enhance the companies’ abilities to meet customer needs with a wider lineup of products.
The Monna Lisa digital textile printer
As part of the enhanced acceleration, the two companies plan to focus on joint research and development efforts to achieve this goal. Valerio Robustelli, one of the proprietors of F.lli Robustelli, says, “We are happy and proud to become members of the Epson Group. Our cooperation with Epson led to the development of Monna Lisa, an industrial digital textile printer that is today a market benchmark for high-quality textile printing. The combination of our respective skills is the natural conclusion of a process of innovation to satisfy customers in Italy and the rest of the world.†Experts say the digital textile printing market will grow worldwide at an annual rate of approximately two per cent. Located in Como, the heart of the Italian and European printing textile industry, Robustelli specialises in the development, manufacture, and sale of digital inkjet textile printers, notably the Monna Lisa series, which it began developing with Epson in 2003.
