The New Home Of Converting And Flextronics Professionals
High-ranking politicians visit Coatema in Dormagen
Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH in Dormagen, Germany, welcomed important political visitors last week: Hermann Gröhe, member of the German Bundestag and deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, and Heike Troles, member of the state parliament, were guests. Managing director Bertram Hartmann and authorised signatories Thomas Kolbusch and Dr Valentino Villari gave the political guests […]
EDANA statistic claims decrease in European Nonwovens Production in 2023
EDANA, a leading global industry association for the nonwovens industry, recently released an overview of the high-level figures from the EDANA Statistics Report on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2023. In 2023, compared to data from 2022, nonwovens production in Greater Europe decreased in volume by 5.7% to 2,864,840 tonnes, and by 5.5% in surface […]
IMS TECHNOLOGIES announces strategic partnership with Tex-Innova for the nonwovens market in the USA and Canada
Italian machinery manufacturing group IMS TECHNOLOGIES introduces Tex-Innova as their new agent for the US and Canadian markets. Tex-Innova Inc., a family-owned company, specialises in facilitating business ventures and follow-ups for companies from the EU and Asia in North America. “Their expertise will help us in introducing our GOEBEL IMS portfolio of in-line winders and […]
Caviar Lianozoff uses Inuru OLED labels for luxury branding
Caviar Lianozoff, a leading name in the luxury food industry, has launched its latest product, Lumière, featuring innovative Inuru OLED labels. This collaboration with Inuru marks a significant step forward in enhancing the luxury experience for discerning clientele. Caviar Lianozoff sought a way to captivate and engage customers amidst a sea of options. Inuru’s cutting-edge […]
Heliatek supplies solar films for roof renovation with pre-fabricated rooftop elements
A pioneering rooftop solar project featuring Heliatek’s innovative HeliaSol solar films has been successfully completed in Dülmen, Germany. The project, a collaboration between Heliatek, Laukien, and TEPE Systemhallen, marks a milestone in sustainable energy solutions that shows the versatility of HeliaSol – designed for retrofitting buildings or being an integral part of building materials – […]
The Voice of Converting | Lena Lührmann (Consultant at Visionsalive)
In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we talk to Lena Lührmann, strategy consultant for medium-sized companies specialising in "innovation and securing the future".
Securing the future
Lührmann says: "Securing the future is actually a general term for the fact that, in my opinion, companies should know their expiry date. In other words, what threatens me, which technologies, which future regulations or political developments will influence and perhaps jeopardise my business area in the future? And that you always push this date of your own obsolescence as far away from you as possible. Securing the future is therefore actually necessary for all areas of the company: Personnel, skilled workers, business model, products, services, digitalisation, etc. Innovation is only a small part of safeguarding the future, but it is not enough to push this expiry date further away and always anticipate what could affect your company next."
Image and reality of GenZ
Another focus point of our interview: the perception and image of GenZ in the German economy. Lührmann states clearly: "SMEs have everything that GenZ needs and wants. SMEs are actually predestined to see people for what they are, to remain loyal to them, to give them security and variety. But this is simply not yet being used strategically. Conversely, GenZ also needs to understand that adaptation is not a one-way street."
The Voice of Converting | Michael Welsch (AI expert at Octopus Digital GmbH)
In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we talked to AI expert Michael Welsch, who brings generative models such as ChatGPT to the production lines of the converting industry with his company Octopus Digital GmbH.
From mechanical engineering to artificial intelligence
Welsch started out his career as a mechanical engineer. Then, in 2016, when he was working on his PhD, he met a colleague who had just returned from a conference in Las Vegas.
He found the conference itself boring, but there was a hackathon on machine learning at the same hotel. At first, Welsch laughed out loud and wondered what that was supposed to be. This colleague then showed him what it was all about. And overnight he decided to drop everything. "I‘m joining in now! Back then, we already knew where the journey was heading, but we weren‘t quite ready to call it AI yet."
Bringing analytical AI into production lines
Welsch then founded his first company in 2018 to bring analytical AI into very broadly diversified production lines. Two years ago, the topic of generative AI came up – and now he is working on industry-specific solutions in this area. These primarily include printing, converting and coating machines, which Welsch believes are perfect for AI integration!
In our Podcast, Welsch showcases the enormous possibilities of artificial intelligence within the converting sector. And he is certain: "AI is one of the most powerful tools mankind has ever created!"
1. Connecting Professionals
Networking is our bread and butter. We connect people and companies from all parts of the supply chains of the industries we serve and thus make a significant contribution to their success. We not only know our industries on a technological level, but also know what makes the people behind the machines tick and what really moves them.
2. Multi-channel communication
Print media continues to be highly relevant for our specialist audience. At the same time, more and more digital media formats are being developed, which are being introduced by providers of specialised media with very different levels of success. When it comes to our digital platforms, we always focus on the formats that really suit our target groups! In addition to the “classic” online news, these are primarily podcasts, video reports, webinars and email newsletters. For our social media activities, we rely entirely on LinkedIn, where we can reach the relevant people and target groups for our media brands in a targeted manner.
3. Global presence, special events
By travelling to trade fairs, conferences and industry events around the world, we always have our finger on the pulse of the industries we serve. We believe in the “magic” of personal contacts and cultivate these as often as possible. In addition, we offer our own face-to-face and online events that enable in-depth networking in a more intimate atmosphere. Internal and external experts who speak at our events should always offer real added value, beyond sales presentations and “empty business-speak”!
4. Fundamental Values
As a company, we stand up for democracy, human rights and freedom of the press. We want all people to be treated equally regardless of gender, sexual identity, skin colour, origin, religion and age. We are firmly opposed to racism and anti-Semitism and reject extremism of any kind.
5. Sustainability
We recognise our responsibility to do our part to curb man-made climate change and develop constructive solutions for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. On a journalistic level, we accompany “green” innovations in the sectors we serve with a critical distance. We reject “greenwashing”. As a company, we include sustainability aspects in all investment decisions and favour climate-neutral means of transport for business trips whenever possible.