Comment by Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, DX Branding Division, Konica Minolta Inc.

Whether the buzzword or phrase is transformation, diversification, Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, just in time production or print on demand – what’s clear is that automation and software are central drivers and growing in importance. Using real-time data to track and improve production is becoming more common, soon it will be the norm.
In the months and years to come, customers will take a broader view on these topics, to engage with them, and to analyse what effects these may have in future on their current business model.

Some commentators have suggested that print is struggling to find its rightful place in the marketing mix and will continue to decline. At Konica Minolta, we see it differently. Successful printing companies continue to embrace the new opportunities coming alongside digitalisation. Print and digital do co-exist, they complement each other, and the most successful companies make use of both.

Forecasts by Keypoint Intelligence / InfoTrends[1] show that in western Europe production digital printing colour volumes are now larger than mono and will continue to rise. In mid-volume colour, where Konica Minolta is market leader, the outlook in the report is said to be ‘positive with higher growth expected’. Growth for high and heavy production also remains high.

This analysis also mirrors our own market perception. It is one of the reasons why we move into 2020 full of confidence following the launch of our new AccurioPress C14000 series (140 pages per minute), our first foray into the high-volume printing segment. The digital toner presses, which also include the C12000 machine, benefit from advanced automation, fewer touchpoints and higher productivity with less waste.

Heavy production driven by growth in the B2 format is referred to by research consultants as a ‘top trend’ in the European marketplace. Our AccurioJet KM-1 B2+ UV digital inkjet press has been referred to as the “Swiss army knife” of the printing industry because it has so many uses that can actively create new business opportunities and make inkjet the reality for the print and packaging sectors. Customers across Europe this year who have invested in the AccurioJet KM-1 include Colourfast Financial, Tierps Truckeri and druckpartner Druck- und Medienhaus.

Factors that contribute to the overall rise in the colour digital printing market are numerous, with software increasingly important. As one example, our Augmented Reality App genARate has been praised for helping to shape future thinking of brand managers, ambassadors, creatives and designers as customers continue to expand into new markets.

Future important market drivers will continue to include more targeted marketing, lean manufacturing, sustainability and variable data printing. And that’s one of the reasons why we unveiled Markomi in 2019, our highly flexible and low-cost multi-channel marketing platform that helps customers develop profitable, added-value campaigns for themselves and their customers. Let’s not also forget that brand owners increasingly want to add value through innovative decorative and tactile elements within the printed piece, which is where the inherent nature of digital print brings distinct advantages.

In this regard, technology such as the digital embellishment systems of our strategic partner MGI is a ready-made opportunity for label converters and commercial printers to offer highly creative services and win new business. For example, MGI’s JETvarnish 3DWeb digital enhancement press for labels and flexible packaging produces in-line flat and 3D spot UV coating, 3D embossed varnish textures and flat and embossed foil.

As we enter another decade, we look forward to continuing to grow our presence within industrial print markets that continue to move further towards digital technology. Despite the overall decline in print manufacturing, markets in central and eastern European countries have shown growth. In Romania last year we saw a wave of investments in JETvarnish machines from Konica Minolta – all backed by Konica Minolta world-class support and service. Customers are using the machines all kinds of applications including books, photo-books and magazine printing.

The new decade heralds another important digital toner printer milestone for Konica Minolta with the 500th installation of our AccurioLabel label printer. It’s been an incredible success story, particularly when you think that we only began in the label printing segment after trials just over four years ago.

However, it’s not just about the technology or the quality – that’s a given. In a true collaborative approach as a relationship-orientated company, we actively source expertise from customers, partners and brands owners for inkjet and toner-based systems. Around the world, around the clock – we help shape ideas for our customers. Our dedicated market approach is working. We are rethinking together with our customers what is possible in commercial printing.

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. Konica Minolta enables its clients to champion the digital era: with its unique imaging expertise and data processing capabilities, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers and solves issues faced by society. As a provider of comprehensive IT services, Konica Minolta delivers consultancy and services to optimise business processes with workflow automation. The company further offers its customers solutions and managed services in the field of IT infrastructure and IT security as well as cloud environments. With regard to its office printing solutions, ‘IDC MarketScape: Western Europe Smart Multifunctional Peripheral 2018 Vendor Assessment’ stated that Konica Minolta is ‘recognised globally as a leading smart MFP provider of note’. As a strong partner for the professional printing market, Konica Minolta offers business consulting, state-of-the-art technology and software and has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa (InfoSource). In the healthcare sector, Konica Minolta drives digitalisation of clinical workflows and offers a broad range of next-level diagnostic solutions. Its Business Innovation Centre in London and four R & D laboratories in Europe enable Konica Minolta to bring innovation forward by collaborating with its customers as well as academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners. For its solutions that combine ‘smart service with smart technology’, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab PaceSetter Award for Outstanding Serviceability 2018/2019’ from Keypoint Intelligence. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With almost 10,300 employees (as of April 2019), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.39 billion in financial year 2018/19.

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SOURCE Konica Minolta


Konica Minolta Comment on Trends and Predictions in Label Market 2020