Robert Bierfreund, Group COO and managing director of Interprint, has taken over the chairmanship of the Digital Printing Association (DIPA) with immediate effect, succeeding Ali Özyilmaz of MB Digitalprint.
According to the press release by Deutsche Messe, Bierfreund started his career in the printing industry back in 1991. For 17 years, he held various management positions throughout Europe at Bertelsmann Printing.
“I am looking forward to my new tasks within DIPA,” said Bierfreund. “Interprint has demonstrated innovative strength in all areas of décor printing since its foundation. As an active member and chairman of DIPA, it is my concern to further develop the new technologies around digital printing with its associated ECO system on their way to the perfectly designed surface.”
In addition to Bierfreund as its new chairman, DIPA has also welcomed Egger, Finsa, Metis and Heimann as additional members that support DIPA with their specialty in the application of digital printing.
The Egger Group is an international wood processing company active in furniture and interior design, flooring and building products.
Finsa, a traditional Spanish company, has been producing technical and decorative wooden flooring and construction solutions since
its foundation in 1931.
Metis, headquartered in Italy, designs and manufactures high- quality scanners for the decor industry, cultural institutions, creative professionals and high-end digital service providers.
Heimann, a medium-sized family business based in the city of Hamm, Germany, has been a competent supplier to the graphic arts industry for over 45 years, specialising in gravure, flexo and digital printing.
Currently, DIPA has 23 members across the world.
LIGNA 2023
Formed in 2019 in LIGNA, DIPA brings together specialists from all process steps of industrial surface design. The aim of DIPA is to take a holistic view of the individual surface design process and to make the possibilities of industrial digital printing as an innovative process accessible to as many users as possible.
For the opening day of LIGNA 2023, DIPA will present a two-hour spotlight in German and English, for visitors on site and in stream or on demand for anyone interested.
The “future workshop” on digital printing will highlight, among other things, the DIPA Academy as a solution to the acute shortage of skilled workers, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the digital printing process, and the need to build an ecosystem of its own in the digital environment of different machine manufacturers, technologies, and a variety of materials.
