Close the gap!

12 May 2011



Rainer Kuhn, Managing Director of PrintCity, the strategic alliance of commercial companies across the print and packaging value chain, tells Joanne Hunter of a new project that aims to bring converters and brand owners closer together for mutual business growth.


Interpack 2011 was the first time that PrintCity had presented itself to such a large audience of packaging professionals since its inception in 1998. Its first ever showcase was at the print event drupa 2000. The PrintCity Value Added Packaging project, which was launched at Interpack, is designed to open the eyes of world packaging markets to the possibilities of print. It comes at a time when competition is rife and money is too short to risk new products being overlooked on crowded shop shelves.

Alliance members including manroland, Sun Chemical, UPM, M-real and engineering specialist Cofely put their significant weight behind the VAPack project, facilitated by Rainer Kuhn, one of PrintCity’s small core of full-time staff.

For over a year, together with Kurz, Merck and Weilburger Graphics, and partner Bobst and technology partners Reproflex and UpCode, the sector specialists pooled their knowledge on value added packaging techniques to produce a set of sample boxes to show what is now possible, accompanied by ‘how to do it’ tutorials.

VAPack aims to open doors to discussions with brand owners and designers. “The point of it is to try to stimulate partners into working together from an early stage so problems don’t turn up at the customer end,” Rainer tells me.

“There is a huge gap of knowledge - and it is not always a one-way street,” he continues. “We as suppliers also should know more about the market we serve. The aim is to close the gap from both ends, to learn and to educate.”

The project builds on similar concepts developed through PrintCity collaborations that focused on, for example, graphical applications. “This experience was transported into packaging.”

The VAPack sample box designer was Alexander Dort. “Alex is a ‘prototype’ of a designer we’d like to see more of. He has an understanding of the print products and how they fit together,” says Rainer. “Design needs to take in what’s possible. It is important to design with knowledge about details. Alex, though not a printer, understands what goes into high value printing, material substrates and quality management. Equally, creatives and brand owners would benefit from this knowledge.”

The Interpack launch was just the start of a move to deepen relationships inside the packaging industry, says Rainer. “The hope is that we create awareness of the possibilities of decoration and interest in future PrintCity seminars on the topic.”

Partners in projects come from many and various disciplines but have so far stopped short of brand owners, notably marketers. “It’s the toughest thing for suppliers to get close to brand owners. Brands don’t get involved to the level we wish for.”

But PrintCity has broken into new territory before. In a link-up with the Worldwide Magazine Media Association (FIPP), PrintCity successfully found a route to publishers: the ‘brand owners’ of the magazine world. And the intention is, likewise, to get closer to the packaging customer and the customer’s customers through networking and liaisons, says Rainer.

Cost effectiveness is as much a factor in business success as capability to achieve high visual and sensory impact, he stresses. “It is important not to produce added cost along with added value. It can be done: the designer has to know how to fit into a budget. The designer’s role is a facilitator: he (or she) stimulates ideas and brings expertise together.”

Rainer goes on to say that future VAPack modules will include new print-based functions and the use of, and linkage to, electronic media, radio frequency identification and latest brand protection techniques.

Remarking on PrintCity’s open-door policy, he adds: “We welcome new partner members and partners who are not members. Competitive overlap does exist, but we organise it so that companies can co-exist within the same project.”

Career path

¦ Since 2001, MD, PrintCity

¦ Previously Head of Communications with Siemens Nixdorf and at Océ, in charge of Europe’s biggest annual digital print fair

¦ Graduate in Information Technology, Technical University, Munich

My ethos for decision making: Fairness to all parties and consistency. Decisions must be reasonable and not taken arbitrarily.

How to be a good team player: Be open and ready for new ideas, and don’t assume that you are the most important person in a team!

My strengths: I consider myself to be a good team player, a good analyst, and capable of leading different opinions to a consensus. This mix is important in an ‘alliance’ environment like PrintCity.


Rainer Kuhn. Rainer Kuhn

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