FuturePrint Podcast

FuturePrint
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  • TECHNOLOGY
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FuturePrint is dedicated to and passionate about the power of print technology to enable new opportunities and create new value. This pod features deep-dive discussions with the people behind the tech as well as market analysis, trends, marketing and storytelling!

  1. 4D AGO

    #321 - From Crash To Clarity: In conversation with Javier Quesada, Kento Digital Printing

    Send a text A violent highway pileup changed how a CEO leads—and what he believes about safety, risk, and time. Marcus sits down with Javier Quesada of Kento Digital Printing to unpack how a near-fatal crash became a turning point for his leadership and why he now treats inaction as the most dangerous strategy of all. The conversation moves from personal recovery and gratitude to hard-nosed choices facing corrugated packaging: do you pause and wait out the cycle, or invest in capabilities that create speed, flexibility, and differentiation when the market tightens? We explore why the corrugated industry’s current downturn is a cycle, not a cliff, and how long-term demand is buoyed by the shift from plastic to paper-based packaging. Javier makes a clear case for digital printing and digital converting as practical tools—shorter runs, rapid changeovers, data-driven workflows—that help plants specialise and stand out when competition is toughest. He shares how to de-risk adoption with small pilots, align teams around purpose, and turn fear into movement. Along the way, we touch on timeless wisdom from Baltasar Gracián: time is the only thing we truly own, so spend it building. You’ll hear a grounded outlook toward 2026, a fresh take on resilience that avoids empty slogans, and concrete steps leaders can take now: map bottlenecks, integrate MIS with scheduling, tidy prepress, set clear quality gates, and invest in people. If you work in print, packaging, or manufacturing strategy, this story-driven chat will help you weigh caution against momentum and reframe uncertainty as a lever for progress. Subscribe for more candid conversations on print technology, leadership, and the future of packaging, and share this episode with a colleague who needs a nudge toward action. Your review helps more people find the show—what’s one move you’ll make this week? Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    18 min

  2. 6D AGO

    #320 - Digital Direct-To-Object Printing At Production Speed: In conversation with Ken Stack, EPS

    Send a text Thousands of parts per minute, each one different. That’s the new reality for direct-to-object printing, and it changes how brands think about cost, speed, and flexibility. We sit down with Ken Stack, Executive Chairman of Engineered Printing Solutions, to unpack why single pass inkjet and smart automation have pushed DTO past the tipping point and what it actually takes to run true production on real-world objects. Ken brings three decades across industrial inkjet, M&A, and strategy, and he explains how EPS moved from pad printing heritage to leading high-speed, direct-to-object systems. We dig into the big drivers: shrinking run lengths, soaring labour costs, and the need to print on plastics, powder-coated metals, and glass with reliable adhesion. You’ll hear what separates multi pass promotional rigs from single pass production cells, why the printer is often just 20% of the total system cost, and how picking, pre-treatment, inline inspection, and sorting deliver the ROI that CFOs want. From golf balls and helmets to beverage and pharma caps, the examples are concrete, and the numbers are blunt. We also map the global picture. North America is charging ahead on automation and reshoring, supported by accessible capital and the pressure to localise. Asia and Latin America show strong momentum, while Europe remains more cautious despite high-value short-run needs across many languages. Ken is candid about the hard parts: training vision systems to inspect 2,000 caps per minute, handling odd geometries at micron-level accuracy, and choosing heads and inks that balance gap, viscosity, and durability. The future focus is clear—make automation cheaper and easier, expand surface compatibility, and standardise core print platforms with vertical-specific handling. If you care about packaging agility, versioned products, or cutting setup fees and downtime from your lines, this conversation lays out a practical path. Subscribe for more deep dives, share this episode with your ops team, and leave a quick review to tell us which object you want to print next. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    31 min

  3. FEB 24

    #319 - Investing in the Future of Print Technology: what investors want from print and packaging innovation

    Send a text In this episode, we are joined by Fredric Petit and Franko Vrhovac from Emerald Technology Ventures and we discover more about investment into new print and packaging technology.  Emerald is not a traditional fund. It operates at the intersection of venture capital and open innovation, acting as a matchmaker between startups and more than 50 global corporates seeking new technologies and solutions across industrial innovation. With over 25 years of experience and more than $1bn in assets under management and advisory, Emerald helps corporates identify promising startups - and invests when commercial traction is proven. The conversation unpacks why packaging became a priority for investors six to seven years ago - driven by shifting waste economics, rising consumer pressure, corporate 2030 targets and tightening regulation. It also explains why printing is now emerging as a key lever for change, from sustainable marking and reduced consumables to improved uptime and fewer SKUs. Crucially, the episode clarifies what investors look for: clear differentiation, a focused value proposition, a credible team, and evidence of market pull. Sustainability matters, but it must come with a compelling business case. Finally, Fredric and Franko share how Emerald’s “Sprint” programmes connect corporates and startups to accelerate pilots and real-world adoption - turning interest into implementation. A practical listen for founders, innovators, converters, brands, and anyone navigating the future of print, packaging, and industrial sustainability. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    26 min

  4. FEB 18

    #318 - When Packaging Talks Back: Will Print Listen? ep#2

    Send a text This episode is 2 of 2 and is an interview with keynote speaker Güneri Tugcu  Following the themes of 'When Packaging Talks Back', we ask 'Will Print Listen'? What if the most valuable thing you print isn’t colour or coverage, but credibility? We explore how connected packaging turns labels and care tags into living product identities, and why printers who embrace this shift can move from commodity supplier to trusted strategic partner. We dive into the rise of digital product passports in fashion and beyond, where serialized QR codes and NFC bring traceability, compliance, and authentication to the front line. That task sits squarely in print’s wheelhouse—if we evolve. We talk through the real blocker (culture, not hardware), and show how hiring for curiosity and consultative skills can complement world‑class engineering. Instead of chasing the same specs as ten competitors, bring brands a clear outcome: compliance readiness, anti‑counterfeit protection, first‑party data, and consumer engagement powered by the codes you print. Compensation models often sink good ideas, so we unpack how capital‑equipment sales incentives clash with recurring software and analytics. The answer isn’t a full rebuild. Start small with a blended pilot team—press veterans, product thinkers, and sustainability voices—tasked to run workshops, shape simple offers, and co‑sell with marketing, legal, and procurement in the room. We share practical steps to reposition as a partner: frame connected packaging as the foundation of data, trust, and long‑term brand value; measure learning speed, not just revenue; and invite diverse minds to pressure‑test solutions before they hit the line. By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to stand out in tenders on more than price, earn a seat at higher‑level conversations, and future‑proof your business as regulations tighten and buyers demand richer product experiences. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a review telling us the first pilot you’ll run. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    26 min

  5. FEB 17

    #317 - When Packaging Talks Back ep#1

    Send a text This episode is 1 of 2. 'When Packaging Talks Back' is followed directly after for episode 2 by 'When Packaging Talks Back: Will Print Listen'? Packaging used to be a dead end for brand relationships. Now it’s becoming the front door. We sit down with keynote speaker Güneri Tugcu in the first of a 2 part podcast, to unpack how connected packaging turns every product into a digital touchpoint that delivers utility, trust and measurable outcomes long after checkout. From post‑COVID shifts in shopper behaviour to the rise of QR‑powered journeys, we get practical on what scales, what fails and how to build value that keeps customers scanning. We dig into the standards making this real: GS1 Digital Link and Project Sunrise 2027, which aim to replace the traditional barcode with a single “master code” that serves retailers and consumers alike. That change unlocks Digital Product Passports, granular traceability, anti‑counterfeit checks that feel like service rather than suspicion, and dynamic content shaped by context. Gunnary shares hard‑won lessons from SGK, Digimarc and Amazon, showing how convenience, not copy, sets expectations—and why serialisation and identity are now the backbone of loyalty, warranty, resale and recycling. The conversation also tackles ownership and design. Retailers still control the aisle, but brands can earn parallel, permission‑based relationships by respecting privacy, offering clear benefits and making tasks effortless—think instant warranty registration instead of hunting for old receipts. In textiles and fashion, looming regulations will force item‑level IDs across the board, pushing converters, brands, platforms and retailers to orchestrate together. The dividing line ahead is clear: campaign thinking that spikes and fades versus infrastructure thinking that compounds insight and lifetime value. Ready to turn print into a persistent, digital channel? Listen now, share with a colleague who needs to hear it, and subscribe for future conversations. If this helped you rethink packaging, leave a quick review—it helps more people discover the show. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    28 min

  6. FEB 10

    #316 - The Sustainable Print Manifesto

    Send a text What if a single set of shared principles could align printers, brands, material suppliers, and recyclers on a faster path to low‑carbon, circular print? We sit with HP’s Carlos Lahoz to map a practical route from belief to measurable change, grounded in a nine‑principle Sustainable Print Manifesto that is already reshaping how companies brief suppliers, plan R&D, and report progress. Carlos explains why the industry needed a common language instead of another compliance badge, and how principles create clarity without constraining innovation across publishing, large format, labels, and packaging. We break down what “sustainable print” actually means to different stakeholders—consumers seeking recyclability, brands asking for compostability, suppliers focused on certified fibre—and why carbon footprint and circularity must sit at the core. Then we move into phase two, where smaller working groups turn the manifesto into playbooks: decision guides for material choices, data fields for job‑level carbon accounting, and workflow tweaks that slash waste while protecting throughput and quality. You’ll hear how collaboration between nominal competitors can lower costs for better materials, standardise measurement, and bring carbon transparency into prepress and MIS. We talk about scaling pledges to build momentum, the value of using the principles in RFPs and customer conversations, and early adopters who already frame corporate reporting around the manifesto. The aim is simple and bold: decarbonise print and improve circularity without sacrificing margins, using shared tools, shared data, and shared ambition. Ready to help set the standard for sustainable print? Read the principles at Manifesto for Sustainable Print, sign the pledge, share it with your network, and if you have deep expertise—from fibre science to recycling logistics—join a working group to shape the next wave of practical guidance. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which principle you want to action first. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    24 min

  7. FEB 6

    #315 - Clean Slate: Rethinking Events

    Send a text In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Marcus Timson is joined by Nova Abbott, Claire Goodchild, and Sarah Goodchild – the creators of the documentary Clean Slate: Rethinking Events. Drawing on decades of experience across global exhibitions, brand events, and live experiences, the trio explore a hard truth about the events industry: while events are temporary by design, their environmental impact is anything but. The conversation unpacks how time pressure, habit, and “last-minute thinking” drive unnecessary waste - particularly in areas like graphics, signage, carpets, and event builds. The film features some eye-opening research tracking what actually happens to event waste after breakdown, revealing that even “recyclable” materials often end up incinerated or in landfill. Together they reflect on the professional and personal tension of learning about the environmental impact of events, while continuing to working inside a fast-moving, dynamic and creative industry. Crucially, this is not a preachy sustainability discussion. The film, and this conversation, focuses on systems, not blame. The creators explain why real change starts at the very beginning of the event planning process, and why sustainability only becomes expensive when it is treated as an afterthought. From the importance of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to building confidence to challenge “business as usual”, this episode is a thoughtful, practical call to rethink how events are designed, delivered, and dismantled. A must-listen for anyone involved in events, exhibitions, marketing, or live experiences – and anyone who attends them. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    35 min

  8. JAN 16

    #314 - Industrial Inkjet: A decade of development: from potential to powerful ROI

    Send a text In this FuturePrint Podcast episode of 2026, Marcus Timson is joined by Dr Simon Daplyn, Product and Marketing Manager at Sun Chemical, to take stock of where industrial inkjet is heading - and why the next phase is less about “print” and more about manufacturing outcomes. Simon reflects on 2025 as a year where momentum began to translate into implementation, particularly in packaging, with renewed interest in hybrid approaches that combine digital inkjet with analogue techniques (especially flexo) to hit the metrics that matter: speed, reliability, and commercial viability. But the bigger story, he argues, is inkjet’s expanding footprint beyond familiar territory - from direct-to-shape and metal decoration to functional deposition in emerging industrial markets. The conversation rewinds to the early InPrint years, when integrators and component specialists helped manufacturers explore what might be possible. Fast forward a decade and the shift is clear: the ecosystem - printheads, software, robotics, ink delivery, and materials science - has matured into tangible, production-ready solutions. Simon also challenges a persistent mistake: trying to replicate analogue workflows with digital. Inkjet’s advantage is not simply cost-per-litre or a like-for-like replacement of gravure, flexo or screen. It is agility, reduced waste, inventory efficiency, faster time-to-market, and the ability to deposit expensive functional materials only where they are needed. With FuturePrint Industrial Print in Munich as the backdrop, Simon outlines why 2026 could be a breakout year for direct-to-shape, metal, flexible packaging, and new industrial applications - powered by collaboration across a growing ecosystem of specialists. Listen on: Apple Podcast Google Podcast Spotify What is FuturePrint? FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events. We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events: FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

    27 min
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About

FuturePrint is dedicated to and passionate about the power of print technology to enable new opportunities and create new value. This pod features deep-dive discussions with the people behind the tech as well as market analysis, trends, marketing and storytelling!

Information

  • Creator
    FuturePrint
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    335
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 FuturePrint Podcast
  • Show Website
    FuturePrint Podcast

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