The ninth Drupa Global Trends Report, to be published in November 2023, indicates an increasing confidence across almost all print regions and markets.
The findings are from a survey taken this spring by Printfuture (UK) and Wissler (CH) of over 600 printers and suppliers from the Drupa expert panel of senior decision makers. Globally 32% more printers and suppliers described their company’s economic condition as ‘good’ compared with those that reported it as ‘poor’. Amongst printers, almost all regions and markets were more buoyant than 2019, i.e. before Covid.
Richard Gray, operations director at Printfuture, said: “While positive forecasts might be expected from packaging and functional printers, what was pleasing was the increasing confidence amongst commercial and publishing printers.”
Globally 50% more printers raised prices in 2023 than lowered them, sustaining the pattern of last year, after the previous seven years of falling prices. Better revenues and margins have followed. This pattern was true across all markets, although there were regional variations.
Digital toner cutsheet colour print volume remains the leader among digital print technologies. Globally the digital adoption - printers claiming more than 25% of turnover in digital - is growing from 26% in 2014 to 29% in 2023.
Capital expenditure tumbled during Covid, recovered a little last year and accelerated this year with 27% more printers investing more in 2023 than those who reduced expenditure - a better global figure than any year since 2017. An even higher investment rate is forecast for 2024, by both printers and suppliers. In general print technology and finishing remain the most popular targets, with sheetfed offset and digital toner cutsheet colour being the most popular technologies globally, though there are significant variations by market.
The report makes it clear that strong industry growth forecasts must be balanced by recognition of stiff economic headwinds, with the risk of recession, or at least damaging inflation, now outweighing the impact of the pandemic and a wide variety of more specific regional socio-economic concerns.
Sabine Geldermann, director Drupa and global head print technologies at Messe Duesseldorf, said: “Printers and suppliers know they must innovate to succeed in the longer term. I am confident that Drupa 2024 will be the ideal opportunity to explore how best to achieve this objective.”
The full report in English will be released by mid of November.