#Digital Printing

2025-09-25

IPI 2025 keynotes unveiled: Robotics, human-machine interfaces, and the future of industrial printing

The Industrial Print Integration (IPI) Conference 2025, the leading event for functional and industrial printing, has announced its keynote programme. Taking place 12–13 November 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Düsseldorf-Neuss, IPI 2025 will deliver insights from global research institutes, technology users, and analysts on the disruptive trends shaping tomorrow’s manufacturing.

Keynote Sessions

Wednesday, 12 November – 09:25

AI-Powered Robotics: Market and Technology Trends

Dr Werner Kraus, Head of Robotics at Fraunhofer IPA and leader of AI innovation center learning systems and cognitive robotics

From model-free grasping to cobot welding and imitation learning, this keynote explores how AI-powered robotics are transforming production and logistics. Dr Kraus will also present the vision of “automation of automation” for high-mix, low-volume production and show how digital toolchains can reduce engineering effort by up to 50%.

Wednesday, 12 November – 09:50

Dead Fronts, Light Guides, Hidden-Til-Lit Displays: How Inkjet Enters Human-Machine Interfaces

Manuel Klemens, Plant Manager, CCL Design & Dr Andreas Willfahrt, Head of Development, Intelligent Labels, CCL Design

This session highlights the role of inkjet in creating next-generation HMIs for automotive, electronics, and industrial applications. Through real-world case studies, the speakers will demonstrate how inkjet delivers design freedom, precision, and adaptability, opening new opportunities for advanced interface design.

Wednesday, 12 November – 10:15

A New Direction for Inkjet: Why Are Chemical Kinetics Accelerated in Microscale Droplets?

Prof. Ronan Daly, Professor of Advanced Manufacturing in the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. He leads the Fluids in Advanced Manufacturing research group.

Inkjet’s unique ability to precisely control droplet volume, velocity, and placement is opening new frontiers beyond printing. Professor Daly will show how this capability can be applied to drug delivery and to accelerating chemical reaction kinetics, highlighting the potential of inkjet as a powerful tool for advanced manufacturing and biomedical applications.

Thursday, 13 November – 15:15

Keynote & Wrap-Up: The Future of Functional and Industrial Printing

Jon Harper-Smith, Print Consultant at Smithers

The printing industry is diversifying well beyond paper, with specialised processes creating components and functional materials across electronics, packaging, textiles, and décor. In this keynote, Smithers will present an expert overview of the global market outlook, identifying both opportunities and threats for the next five years. Drawing on exclusive insights from The Future of Industrial and Decorative Printing to 2029, Jon Harper-Smith will highlight the technologies driving change, the applications with the greatest growth potential, and the challenges facing industry leaders as print continues to expand into new functional domains.

Organiser’s Perspective

"Our keynote programme reflects the most urgent and exciting conversations happening in industrial printing today — from robotics and automation to sustainable inks and next-generation applications," said Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA. "IPI 2025 is about more than technology updates; it’s about shaping the roadmap for future manufacturing and connecting the experts who will make it happen."

Beyond the Keynotes

In addition to the keynote programme, IPI 2025 will feature almost 60 technical presentations, spotlighting innovations in printhead design, functional inks, 3D applications, automation, and sustainability. For the first time, the conference will also include OEM perspectives from SPGPrints, MicroCraft, and C-marx, providing real-world user insights into new applications and production challenges.

Exhibition & Networking

The tabletop exhibition will bring together 60+ industry leaders and academic partners, including Agfa, Fujifilm Dimatix, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Sun Chemical, University of Cambridge, and others. The exhibition floor is nearly sold out, with only limited spaces remaining.

Registration now open

Registration is open at ipi-conference.com. First-time participants benefit from a 50% discount, making IPI 2025 the perfect opportunity to connect with the international industrial print community.

Event details

Dates: 12–13 November 2025

Location: Crowne Plaza, Düsseldorf-Neuss

Programme & Registration: ipi-conference.com

Textile Printing & Sustainability announces final event programme

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Epson future proofs textile printing with Epson Textile Academy 2.0

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EFI and Fiery, LLC, reach agreement on Fiery acquisition of Inèdit software

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Kornit Digital launches breakthrough footwear solution at ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

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Flying Colours meets Kornit: A new era for garment printing

The print industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by demands for speed, sustainability, and limitless creativity. For more than 30 years, Flying Colours, a specialist in artwork and colour separation services for printers worldwide, has been at the forefront of this evolution. Now, partnering with Kornit Digital, the company is demonstrating how decades of screen-printing expertise can unlock the full potential of Mass Digital Production.

Mayer & Cie. to shut down after failed search for investor – 270 jobs affected

Mayer & Cie., the long-established German manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines, will cease operations after its international search for an investor ended without success. The company, based in Albstadt-Tailfingen, had been undergoing insolvency proceedings in self-administration since its filing on 23 September 2025. As Schwarzwälder Bote reports, the insolvency court has now formally opened the proceedings, triggering the decision to wind down the business in an orderly process.

European research project addresses textile waste through integrated recycling technologies

A major European research initiative coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been launched to develop integrated solutions for textile waste recycling. The AUTOLOOP project aims to create a comprehensive system that could process 1.24 million tonnes of textile waste annually by 2050, whilst potentially creating over 130,000 green jobs across the EU. This project aims to develop, test and integrate automated sorting, tracing, and closed-loop recycling technologies for polyester-based textiles (NRT), addressing the pressing challenge of textile waste management.

CARBIOS and Wankai sign strategic PET biorecycling pact

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