Whether you want to learn about megatrends in international business, innovations in smart packaging or strategies for the circular economy, you will find it at the drupa cube where thought leaders will present and discuss the future of the printing and packaging industry and the trends that impact it. With more than 50 sessions, the drupa cube is the central conference forum at drupa 2024, which takes place from 28 May to 7 June in Düsseldorf.

The cube opens on the first day of the fair at 11.15 a.m. with a keynote from Vicky Pryce, a respected international economic analyst. She will examine global economic trends and future forecasts. She will provide insights into the economic challenges and opportunities facing us and discuss how companies of all sizes can remain adaptable and develop and maintain a growth mindset in uncertain times. Vicky is Chief Economic Advisor at the renowned Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and Professor at BCU and King's College London.

If you seek insights into business development and management, the Business Booster sessions in the cube are a ‘must attend’. The presentation by Mr. Ogawa, President and CEO of Epson, on the print industry in the digital age is eagerly awaited. In the cube, Ogawa will provide his unique insights into the present and future of the industry, talk about the growing importance of sustainable solutions; he will describe how Epson's culture, history and mindset are at the forefront of the next print revolution.

New industry standards in automation are the core theme for Gershon Alon, Head of Software Solutions, HP Indigo. In the cube, Alon talks about the future of automated print production. With complex, labour-intensive processes, limited capacity and long delivery times, Alon will address the need to automate the entire production line beyond the press. 30 years ago, software had a different status than it does today, where it is practically impossible to exist without an online presence. Bart van der Horst, CEO of iChannel, explains in the drupa cube how to reliably manage and scale a business against the backdrop of the Digital Age.

The session with Dscoop Executive Director Peter van Teeseling leads a session that promises to highlight the full potential of communities for business. The focus will be on strategies for effective networking and building partnerships in the printing industry for future mutual success. How to attract and retain staff will be the topic of Charles Jarrold, CEO of the British Printing Industries Federation, looking at the core elements of an effective apprenticeship programme and key learnings from the BPIF’s experience.

Marcus Timson co-founder of FuturePrint, will speak in the drupa cube about the crucial role storytelling can play in business growth and how compelling narratives can help build trust for companies and inspire action from customers. Frazer Chesterman the other co-founder of FuturePrint will also host a Business Booster session on how to generate ideas and launch new innovations.

Enrico Barboglio, General Manager at ACIMGA, and Sara Alexander, Marketing & Communication Manager Flexible Packaging at Bobst, will focus on the role of substrates in marketing. The session is aimed in particularly at print professionals who want to support brand owners in their search for new approaches and innovative ideas. Kellie Northwood, CEO of Australian Visual Media Association explains how you as a print and packaging supplier can increase market share and revitalise sales as a "trusted advisor" and consultant to your clients.

In the cube’s circular economy/sustainability sessions, experts will provide practical, actionable advice on the biggest issue of our times. On the first day, for example, Mark Fabisch (Bertelsmann), Lisa Faratro (CPI) and Beatrice Klose (Intergraf) will discuss how best to calculate the carbon footprint of print products.

Yujing Pan, is an expert Product Compliance in Asian markets at Enhesa, she will discuss the environmental regulations and compliance landscape with environmental and product standards for printing and packaging production in Asian countries. The focus on regulatory requirements will be continued by Jonathan Graham, Chairman of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, will also host a panel (including Yujing and our keynote speaker Dr. Calvin Lakhan) to discuss strategies for effectively navigating environmental regulations.

“Smarter Labelling" is the one topic from Dr Calvin Lakhan, Doctor UFL/York University Canada. In this workshop he will examine how clear and informative product labelling can influence consumer behaviour, particularly with regard to sustainability and waste management. Calvin’s keynote presentation, also in week 2 of drupa, will address the language that we use to communicate sustainable values and how cultural differences in understanding and attitudes should influence our approach.

In the panel "Fit for Recycling - How Ink Enables The Circular Economy", Ewald Rempel, Technical Application Director Packaging Solutions EMEA at Sun Chemical, and Alina Marm, Head of Global Sustainability & Circular Economy at Siegwerk, will discuss the crucial role of inks and coatings for recyclable packaging.

There are various presentations at the cube on the topic of Trends and Forces that aim to give insights into the major forces at play – be they economic, digital or demographic that are delivering new, innovative business models and opportunities for companies to grow and develop further. One session not to miss will be with Henrik Müller-Hansen, founder and CEO of Gelato. Henrik will highlight new growth opportunities for manufacturers in the age of the creator economy. Gelato, a software company from Norway, enables local production through the world's largest on-demand production network, connecting over 130 production sites and 50 transport companies in 32 countries. With this backdrop and a background in IT he will explain the importance of agility, speed, personalisation and sustainability, driven by the growing importance of e-commerce and platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and how these factors are changing the print industry.

The Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A) will be at drupa cube with many inspiring presentations. This industry association will provide insights into printed electronics technologies, and intelligent packaging. In his panel "Technologies and Applications" on June 6th, MD Dr Klaus Hecker will highlight the latest trends and technologies in flexible and printed electronics, covering topics such as energy storage, IoT smart labels and advanced printing techniques. Gerhard Domann of Fraunhofer ISC will present the latest results of the EU-funded CircEl-Paper project in his session "Progress Towards Manufacturing of Paper-based Printed Circuit Boards". Lee Hui, President of E Ink in the Netherlands, will explain how ePaper displays will revolutionise the role of packaging.

The drupa cube will also feature forward-looking presentations for the packaging sector, including Noam Zilbershtain, VP & General Manager, HP Indigo & Scitex. The audience can expect a visionary perspective on of the enormous potential of digital printing and its transformative capabilities. Dr. Vroni Walter, Head of Innovation and Applications at Epple Druckfarben, will delve into the topic of sustainable printing inks. And Dr. Peter Wülfert from Sun Chemical and Dr. Evert Delbanco from Siegwerk Druckfarben will give an overview of the global regulations for printing inks on food contact materials (FCM) and explain how they are working to ensure safety when printing food packaging.

The drupa cube programme features a full day of English-language content on all days of the trade fair - except Sunday. On 2 June, the German-language conference "Change your Media World", organised by f:mp, the German association for media production, will take place. The full drupa cube programme and day by day agenda is available at www.drupa.com/en/Program/Forums/drupa_cube

drupa 2024 is open to trade visitors from Tuesday, 28 May to Friday, 7 June 2024, Monday - Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday + Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. The day ticket costs 60 euros, the 3-day ticket 165 euros and the 5-day ticket 255 euros. Information on parking tickets and tickets for local public transport is also available in the ticket shop: www.drupa.de/1130.