Komori will be showing off its full range of hardware at Drupa

Komori chairman, Yoshiharu Komori, says the print industry stands at ‘a great turning point’ as his firm announced a global sales partnership with Konica Minolta ahead of Drupa 2012.

The link-up ties in with Komori’s move to provide more ‘solutions for short-run jobs’ as part of its ‘OffsetOnDemand’ programme . The Konica Minolta ‘Bizzhub Pressi series will be sold as Komori branded products starting at Drupa in May.

The event will see the print industry launch its fightback against the tough times that have afflicted print in previous years.

Komori is seeking to spearhead that fightback by making the transition towards being what they term a ‘print engineering services provider’.

The plan is to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones to be able to provide commercial printers with those additional revenue streams.

One of the first developments in this area will be a showing at Drupa, a prototype of an inkjet digital printing system, is the product of a joint research and development product by Komori and Konica Minolta.

“In this environment, the printing industry must deepen its relationship with IT technologies, promote new forms of business, and revolutionize its profit structure,” adds chairman Komori.

It has also been announced that exhibition space for Drupa has been sold out—a sign that manufacturers see the show as a chance to give business a shot in the arm after a turbulent four years since the 2008 edition.