AI features heavily in drupa Imaging Summit Workshop Program

Drupa organisers have released details and the complete program of the drupa Imaging Summit on May 30th and 31st at drupa, which includes topics covering the printed image, its technologies and business cases. Top-class speakers will give around twenty keynote speeches on technology, business, sustainability, innovation and artificial intelligence, as well as the special relationship between images, image data and print.

The drupa Imaging Summit kicks off on Thursday, 30 May at 11:00 am with "Image Generation via Artificial Intelligence: Tools & Workflows" by Andreas Jürgensen (founder of AI Imagelab | ai-imagelab.de). In his talk, he will answer questions such as: What is the current state of AI-generated images? Which programs are currently relevant - and which ones should you watch? And in which applications will they become relevant?

At 11:30 am, "Picture This: How AI is Revolutionizing Imaging" by Dennis Oberfeld (Customer Engineer Google Cloud) follows. He will discuss Google's powerful AI solutions and how they streamline workflows and produce stunning results. Oberfeld will also discuss upscaling and watermarking and provide practical tools for businesses and creatives.

Then, Dr.-Ing. Björn Schwarzbach (Managing Director/COO ORWO NET GmbH) will provide an overview of how AI is being used in image labs today and in the future and the innovative business potential it offers with his talk "From Pixels to Print: Leveraging AI for Enhanced Photo Product Quality and Efficiency" at 12:00 am.

The afternoon starts at 12:30 pm with the lecture "AI Unveiled: Navigating Past, Present, and Future in Photo Print Innovation", presented by Sarah Lefebvre (Director of Marketing EyeQ Imaging Inc). Lefebvre connects the present-day applications of AI to real-life use cases and their impacts on the printing industry. She shows the opportunity to explore the intersection of innovation and practicality at the forefront of AI technology.

The next speaker will be Adrian Rohnfelder (Founder AI Imagelab) at 1:30 pm, who will talk about "The influence of Artificial Intelligence on future print products". In this highly illustrated and entertaining presentation, Rohnfelder outlines possible print products of the future as a result of the new generative AI possibilities: Changes through AI support for existing products, key social media drivers such as pets and selfies for a flood of AI-generated images and possible consumer wishes for 2D, 3D and 4D printing.

At 2:00 pm, Google Manager Dennis Oberfeld returns to talk about "Transform at Speed: The Power of Cloud for Digital Innovation". Oberfed shows how Google Cloud empowers businesses to transform and innovate at an unprecedented pace.

The next presentation, "Expanding the expressive capabilities through FUJIFILM's imaging technology", by Katsuyuki Takada (Head of Ink Development for Inkjet Printers FUJIFILM Business Innovation Co., Ltd.), starts at 3:00 pm. FUJIFILM has developed a new technology to print structural colours using inkjet. This decoration method does not use pigments or dyes. Printing creates a fine structure that reflects specific wavelengths of light on a substrate. The technology that enables this natural structural colour through digital printing has been praised as a technology that greatly expands the possibilities of expression. Katsuyuki Takada will also introduce the audience to the latest technology in metallic colours such as gold and silver.

Afterwards, at 4:00 pm, Stephan Hankammer (Prodekan Alanus Hochschule für Kunst und Gesellschaft, Bonn) will speak about "How do we make companies regenerative?". Stephan is co-founder and scientific director of the Institute for Regenerative Economy (REGWI), professor for sustainable corporate management, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter near Bonn, head of the BA program Sustainable Economy, and thought leader for interdisciplinary business approaches to a sustainable, regenerative economy.

Hankammer will be followed by "Sustainability in the printing industry: From a holistic approach to changing actions" by Henning Ohlsson (founder of Ohlsson Consulting) at 4:25 pm. He was Director of Sustainability for Epson Europe, overseeing all ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) activities across EMEA. In 2020, Ohlsson was ranked 9th in the top 100 global CSR influencers, as compiled by Assent Compliance. Today, he leads a network and think tank of international sustainability consultants. 

At 4:45 pm, Andreas Peter Asel (Market and Business Development Manager Circularity Epson Europe) will address "Closing the Resource Loop in the Printing Industry". Asel is building the new material recycling segment for the printing industry in Europe and driving environmentally conscious solutions. He is a well-known keynote speaker with a proven track record at international conferences.

At 5:10 pm, Jerome Cochet (Co-Founder & MD goodcarbon GmbH) will explain "How to confidently deliver on your net zero and nature positive commitments through high quality carbon credits". Cochet has a strong business and marketing background, having previously worked for McKinsey & Co and Zalando, where he founded Zalando Marketing Services.

The first day of the drupa Imaging Summit will conclude with a Sustainability Panel with the previous speakers at 5:40 pm and an Imaging and Printing Networking Evening at 6:00 pm.

The second day of the drupa Imaging Summit starts on Friday, 31 May at 11:00 am with the topic "Photographer meets Print Service Provider" by Jochen Kohl (Managing Director of K2 Studio and Studio 911 and Head of Marketing ILFORD EU). Kohl will provide interesting answers to questions such as how photographers see their images and how much this is influenced by digital presentation media alone. And how does the print service provider see it?

Peter Hytrek, CEO of DINAX, will speak at 11:30 am about "Ease of use: The key to environmental savings and success in the print business". Especially in the POS and in-house areas, inexperienced users often do the printing. Mirage from DINAX is the key to achieving outstanding results with ease and confidence.

At 12:00 pm, Viesus CEO Servi Pieters will highlight the key aspects of "Prints enhanced in the blink of an AI". Pieters offers a behind-the-scenes look at the algorithms used by leading names in the photo printing industry to minimise suboptimal prints. Largely unknown to the public, Viesus' AI technology works as an invisible yet powerful force, enhancing millions of images daily with unmatched precision and consistency.

The inspiring topic "How XR will evolve and potentially change our lives" will be presented by Vijay Kishan Rao (Vice President of VCX-Forum e.V. and Mobile Product Manager at Vodafone) at 12:30 pm. With XR, Pervasive Computing and AI, there will be a shift in the interaction between humans and digital entities, which will take a quantum leap towards an intuitive, inclusive, and immersive experience.

"Sustainable Photography with Nikon's Z System" will be presented by Daniel Ziegert (Manager Professional & Educational Business Nikon Europe BV) at 1:30 pm, Ziegert will explore the innovative features of Nikon Z cameras and lenses and their role in creating value-added products. Investing in high-quality Nikon equipment leads to stunning visuals and promotes sustainable practices.

The presentation "Computational Photography: More than a single Image" by Dietmar Wüller (CEO of Image Engineering, President of the VCX Forum) at 2:00 pm answers why smartphone photos are so good. How can these small cameras now deliver the same and sometimes even better image quality than regular consumer cameras? The answer is "computational photography". Wuller will explain some of these methods and provide an overview of the current technology.

Embark on a journey with Heidemarie Hinger (Product and Business Development Manager Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH) as she unlocks the secrets of sustainable paper production in her talk "Sustainable Paper: Nurturing Creativity, Preserving Nature" at 2:30 pm. Be inspired by eco-friendly printing practices and real-world success stories that prove artistry and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

The drupa Imaging Summit will accompany the photo exhibition "1253 m" by photographer Ralf Baumgarten. The exhibition shows pictures from the last German coal mine, "Prosper Haniel," at a depth of 1253 meters. The exhibition was photographed with two analog Canon F-1 cameras from the 1970s. As part of drupa, the exhibits demonstrate the visual power of perfectly printed photographs. The DNA of photography as a print medium is to capture decisive moments. 

drupa 2024 is open to trade visitors from Tuesday, 28 May to Friday, 7 June 2024, Monday - Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday + Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Information on parking tickets and tickets for local public transport is also available in the ticket shop: www.drupa.de/1130.