Interview with Roz Mcguinness

Roz Mcguinness
Roz Mcguinness
Divisional Director
FESPA
FESPA

The 'next big thing' in DTP is the increasing focus on colour accuracy
Federation of European Screen Printers Associations (FESPA) FESPA is a global federation of 37 national associations for the screen printing, digital printing and textile printing community. Roz Mcguinness, Divisional Director, FESPA discusses digital textile printing technologies and expectations from FESPA Asia 2017.

What is the Brexit impact likely to be felt in this segment of the industry? What steps are you taking to counter it?

The outcome of the EU referendum has no immediate impact on FESPA's activities. At this time it is too early to say what impact, if any, it will have on the industry.

What is the size of the digital textile printing (DTP) market in Europe and globally? At what rate are both these markets growing?

Drawing on figures from our research partner, Infotrends, in 2015 the global market for digital textile printing represented 932 million square metres, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) accounting for 55 per cent of this. The global market by volume is forecast to grow by 29 per cent CAGR to 2020, with much of that growth driven by Asia Pacific and EMEA respectively.

Which parts in Europe specialise in DTP? What is the USP of these printers/solution providers?

Italy is still the strongest market for digital textile printing in Europe and the world, by a significant margin, with printers serving a wide variety of applications from fashion and garment to interior décor and soft signage. In Italy the growth is primarily in the first two sectors, as reflected in the programme for our forthcoming FESPA Digital Textile Conference in Milan on September 30. In order of size, Germany, France and the UK are also significant markets for digital textile printing.

Which regions have high demand for European DTP machines and solutions globally? Where do you see the market growing?

Europe has driven the adoption of digital textile printing technology and continues to see strong growth. Outside of Europe, Turkey is a strong market and Asia Pacific is tipped to continue a rapid growth curve of adoption. There is also strong interest in South America highlighted by the high attendance at FESPA Brazil and our FESPA Digital Textile Conferences there in 2015 and 2016.

What will be the 'next big thing' in DTP technologies?

Digital textile printing - a sector FESPA has maintained a focus on since our first Digital Textile Conference in 2008 and the launch of the FESPA Fabric (now Textile) exhibition in 2010 - is a relatively mature technology in terms of a combining quality and speed. This has resulted in the adoption of digital textile printing beyond soft signage and into the fashion and interior décor markets. The 'next big thing' is the increasing focus on colour accuracy, as well as the broader range of fabrics being decorated using digital textile.

On what new fibres and fabrics can we see DTP in the future?

Digital textile printing is increasingly viable for natural fabrics, with some manufacturers integrating pre-treatment into the higher volume roll-to-roll hardware. Looking further ahead, smart garments are beginning to make use of digital textile to incorporate electronics. There's also the Project Jacquard fabric from Google ATAP, which includes conductive threads in the woven yarn itself.

Which segment in digital textile printing is more popular - garments, home textiles, or signage?

The popularity of applications varies from country to country, however, globally digital textile printing volumes are currently dominated by garment and soft signage, although home textiles are growing fast.

What are the challenges / opportunities that the European printing industry faces? What is FESPA doing to help overcome these?

Right now, innovation and the pursuit of new application opportunities are giving entrepreneurs increased confidence in the performance of their own businesses. The next couple of years will certainly see printers continue to diversify into new applications especially in textile, POP, wallpaper/interiors, building wraps and industrial applications. It is a challenging but exciting time for printers and FESPA's role is to provide this community with opportunities to review all the innovations available to them, blended with high-quality education and networking. FESPA does this through its leading exhibitions, thought leadership events including the Global Summit, focused conferences such as the DTC and its regional events in association with its associations like the Southern European Congress.

Please walk us through the highlights of the FESPA Asia 2017.

To be held from February 15-17, 2017, visitors to FESPA Asia 2017 - the most comprehensive print show for the ASEAN region - will be able to see the latest technologies, materials and applications in screen and digital print, industrial print, textile print and garment decoration in one place. Alongside a stellar line up of major international and regional brands exhibiting, there will be a programme of free educational seminars covering topics on future trends, global print innovations and key business 'how to' sessions to provide printers with the knowledge to take their businesses to the next level. Wrap experts at the FESPA Wrap Hub, sponsored by Hexis, will demonstrate amazing wrap techniques on innovative everyday items, to showcase the diversity of wrapping. There will also be after-show networking events for visitors to engage and share knowledge with their peers. It really is an event not to be missed!

From which regions did you receive visitors at FESPA Textile 2016 in Amsterdam?

Visitors from 75 countries attended FESPA Textile 2016, representing all regions in Europe, as well as North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

After FESPA China, Mexico, Brazil, and Africa, do you plan to venture into India in the future?

FESPA Asia is very much the show for the whole ASEAN region and we invite exhibitors and visitors from the whole region, including India, to join us in Bangkok in 2017. Screen Printers Association of India (SPAI), our Indian Association, is a very important member of the FESPA federation and with India's incredibly fast growing economy, printers will undoubtedly benefit from attending the show. We are working closely with SPAI who fully support our plans in 2017 and beyond.
Published on: 10/08/2016

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.