Day Two FuturePrint Tech Valencia: Inspiration, Ink Innovations, and More Weather-Appropriate Chat!

Day Two in Valencia began under a sky that felt oddly familiar to our British attendees—cloudy, blustery and a touch chilly. But not even the cooler climate could dampen the spirits of the FuturePrint crowd, especially with coffee in hand and another great agenda ahead.

Jeff Wettersten of Keypoint Intelligence kickstarted the day by painting a compelling picture about the future trends in packaging. Nils Gottfried from BHS Corrugated swiftly followed with a glimpse into the world of monochrome inkjet.

Dario Urbinati (Gallus) discussed the 'Digital Expectation Gap,' encouraging the audience to reflect on how the print industry can better align evolving technology with practical expectations. Didier Rousseau from Kelenn Technology kept the momentum going, discussing the art (and science!) of inkjet flexo upgrades and digital watermarking. Nadina Using wrapped up the morning sessions by exploring the destiny of industrial inkjet, encouraging everyone to 'ride the wave' or catch the ‘gust of air’ while it's there—because innovation now is what will carry you through the stiller days ahead. It was a great reminder that timing is everything, especially when it comes to staying ahead in the print world.

Post-caffeine injection, Marcelo Tomoyose (Fiery) got technical about software for industrial inkjet, followed by Amir Raziel (HP Industrial Print) outlining the five key transitions that are shaping print’s exciting future. Dave Gray (Dantex) convinced everyone that ‘Beyond the Assembly Line’ isn't just a catchy phrase, while Christophe Behaghel (Excelitas Technologies) made us realise that choosing the right wavelength really is a bright idea. Dr. Christian Schirrmacher from Evonik Operations brought the morning sessions to a close, enthusiastically calling for everyone to embrace the future—one droplet at a time.

Pana Vrettos (IST INTECH) began the afternoon with a focus on curing technologies, while Christophe Imbert (Lubrizol) brought chemistry front and centre, reassuring us that packaging chemistry isn't just useful; it can even be exciting. Dr. Peter Brown (42 Technology) added some AI spice, talking about complex manufacturing that made everyone feel slightly smarter.

Dean Allen and Morgane Galizzi (Nazdar) then closed the day by opening a ‘New Chapter’ with high-viscosity inks—proving that viscosity truly does matter. Frazer Chesterman wrapped things up with his trademark energy—even if the audience was too content (or too full from lunch) to throw any questions his way. And while there weren’t any live questions from the floor, the spirit of curiosity lingers—especially around one popular sentiment from the night before: 'Can we do this in Mallorca next year?'

Valencia, you've still got it—even when you're wrapped in cloud cover.