As the digital age brought radical changes in the society, including rapid shift from traditional industry to an economy based on information technology, all industries have to cope with the trends, including the commercial print and package printing industry. Ahead of the Gulf Print & Pack 2019 on April 15-18 at the Dubai World Trade Center, its organizers expressed optimism about the innovations brought about by the New Media Age. Andy Thomas-Emans, Strategic Director at Tarsus Group, organizers of upcoming event, said the future looks promising for the commercial print and package printing industry with the growing use of e-commerce and Internet shopping throughout the region which is opening up opportunities in ‘smart' tracking labels and secure documentation, along with innovative returnable packaging, printed consumer communication pieces and logistics management. He explained that for the package printing business, which is the most valuable end-use application for print in the MENA region and will be worth $20 billion in 2019 according to Smithers-Pira, the next boom area will be inkjet printing direct to corrugated, particularly for items delivered by internet shopping and for Point of Display units found at major retailers across the region. "One key trend is for the shipping case for retail products to double as a display case on the shelf, and this requires that the colors on the corrugated case match the brand colors of the consumer items they contain. This in turn requires a new generation of digital print technology and color matching software," Thomas-Emans said. Moreover, he said "we see a trend for PSPs (print service providers) to diversify into related vertical markets. Show visitors will also be able to see diversification in action at the Print Décor Lounge feature at the show, where everything in this area will be printed. Companies including Multisystems, Heliozid, NDigitec will be presenting the possibilities, which may include wallpaper, flooring and furniture." Another interesting opportunity for diversification represented at Gulf Print & Pack is 3D printing (more accurately called Additive Manufacturing), he further said. The Dubai government has made Additive Manufacturing a key strategic area for the country's development, and, increasingly, PSPs are finding new business opportunities to complement their traditional print business. For example, they are offering consumer-oriented promotional items such as 3D prints of family members to go alongside digital photographs. Some are supplying prototype tooling and an on-demand spare parts service to local manufacturing and logistics businesses. MENA is also a market where luxury brands are preeminent, and brands need to be protected against counterfeit and diversion in the supply chain. Gulf Print & Pack 2019 will be showcasing a wide range of these anti-counterfeit technologies include foil stamping, holograms, variable coding, invisible inks and guilloche printing. Since counterfeiting of drugs and pharmaceuticals remains a problem across MENA and Africa, he noted, "so this is another area to expect good growth in overt and covert anti-counterfeit packaging solutions." Excerpts from the interview follow: • With the current pace of technological changes, how do you see the industry 10 years from now? Much of the growth potential in the MENA region will be driven by an overwhelming youthful consumer demographic. Some 60 percent of the Arab population is under 25 years old, making MENA one of the most youthful regions in the world, with a median age of 22 years compared to a global average of 28. Africa has the youngest population in the world, and it is growing fast. By 2055, the continent's youth population (aged 15-24), is expected to more than double. According to the Smithers-PIRA, this is helping drive print revenue in the MENA at 8.7 percent year-on-year against a global growth rate of just one percent and will hit a value of $40.7 billion in 2022, up from $32 billion in 2019. The MENA market for printing machinery was worth $446.1 million in 2017 and is forecast to reach $545.7 million by 2022. By that time, over 13.46 million tonnes of print materials will be used in the region. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology are already having an impact on the industry - already Gulf Print & Pack 2019 exhibitors like Bobst have announced ‘smart' glasses worn by press operators, which will allow a service engineer based at a remote location to ‘see' what the operator sees, which will be hugely helpful for real-time troubleshooting. In the same way, an operator could see an exploded 3-D view of a piece of equipment overlaid onto their field of vision, completely replacing written manuals. This and other ‘Industry 4.0' initiatives will revolutionize all areas of the print industry over the next decade. • As the social media/Internet gradually takes its toll on the print media, do you also see its adverse effect on the other printing jobs like magazines, books and brochures? Books are a great example of how print is not only holding its own against digital downloads, but actually bouncing back. Digital presses – both toner and inkjet - allow publishers to adopt completely new business models based on higher unit value, low volume print runs. This means they can reduce inventory and risks by ordering multiple short-run reprints on demand. And this in turn offers new opportunities for commercial printers adopting digital print and finishing technologies. Key growth segments in the book market include children's books – often with elaborate finishing – and educational books, as schools, colleges and universities look to keep pace with ever-growing student numbers across the MENA and wider Africa region. The consumer demographics driving growth in on-demand book printing are also driving growth in poster and billboard advertising and retail point of sale (POS). These applications all require the latest wide format inkjet printing and finishing technologies. • How do you anticipate the public's (those who will go to the event) response to the latest industry-leading digital press, inkjet products, integrated end-to-end solutions and business-boosting solutions that will be showcased at the event? The show always displays the very best innovations and technologies driving the industry forward and plays a key role in moving the industry forward in the region. Visitors have the opportunity to meet leading manufacturers and purchase the best products/solutions for their needs and see live demonstrations of working machinery. This year there are more than ever, with companies including Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Canon, Xerox, HP and Phoenix Technologies all taking part. — SG
