• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Labels & Packaging
    • Markets
    • Technology
    • Equipment
    • Supplies
    • Buyers' Guide
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Labels & Packaging
  • Markets
  • Technology
  • Equipment
  • Supplies
  • Buyers' Guide
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    Digital and Hybrid Printers and Presses

    Digital Printing Market Update

    Overlamination Films

    Narrow Web Profile: Quality Tape & Label

    Companies To Watch: Arrow Systems, Inc.
    Breaking News
    Converter News
    European Label News
    Industry News
    Industry People
    M&A News
    New Products
    Expert's Opinion
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Meech debuts remote monitoring product

    Label management system aids CBD brand

    New Polyonics label material helps metal processors avoid recalls

    Mactac gives back to local communities

    Avery Dennison receives APR recognition
    Blog
    Video Bites
    Beauty & Personal Care Labels
    Beer Labels
    Beverage Labels
    Flexible Packaging
    Folding Carton
    Food Labels
    Glue-Applied
    In-Mold
    Industrial Labels
    Medical Labels
    Pharmaceutical Labels
    Pressure Sensitive
    Prime Labels
    Promotional Labels
    Security Labels
    Shrink
    Smart Labels
    Specialty Labels
    Spirits Labels
    Wine Labels

    New Polyonics label material helps metal processors avoid recalls

    Mactac enhances spirits bottle label

    Designing returnable and reusable takeout packaging

    Western Shield improves efficiency with new Nilpeter FA-17

    UFlex doubling capacity of aseptic liquid packaging plant
    Africa
    Asia
    Australia
    China
    Europe
    India
    Latin America
    Middle East
    North America

    Label management system aids CBD brand

    Avery Dennison receives APR recognition

    Mactac enhances spirits bottle label

    Fathom Optics unleashes new technology targeting packaging industry

    Domino highlights virtual demo capabilities
    Flexography
    Digital Printing
    Prepress
    Finishing
    Sustainability

    Avery Dennison receives APR recognition

    Mondi wins eight 2021 WorldStar Packaging awards

    Bobst opens digital inkjet demo center in Barcelona

    Domino highlights virtual demo capabilities

    Product Identification Company launches flexo label printing capability
    Digital Printers & Presses
    Flexo Presses
    Label Converting Equipment
    Label Finishing Equipment
    Prepress Equipment

    Loftware and NiceLabel join forces

    Flint Group announces new XSYS division

    Bobst opens digital inkjet demo center in Barcelona

    Domino highlights virtual demo capabilities

    Bellissima DMS now available in India
    Dies And Tooling
    Flexo Supplies
    Ink & Coatings
    Prepress Supplies
    Pressrooom Supplies
    Substrates

    New Polyonics label material helps metal processors avoid recalls

    Mactac gives back to local communities

    Avery Dennison receives APR recognition

    Flint Group announces new XSYS division

    Mondi wins eight 2021 WorldStar Packaging awards
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Label Converters
    Trade Associations
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Dantex Group

    NarrowWebExchange.com, LLC

    Martin Automatic Inc.

    Ashe Converting Equipment

    QC Electronics, Inc.
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live from Show Events
    • Magazine
      • Current & Past Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers' Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Company Profiles
      • Label Converters
      • Trade Associations
      • Add Your Company
    • Labels & Packaging
      • Beauty & Personal Care Labels
      • Beer Labels
      • Beverage Labels
      • Flexible Packaging
      • Folding Carton
      • Food Labels
      • Glue-Applied
      • In-Mold
      • Industrial Labels
      • Medical Labels
      • Pharmaceuticals Labels
      • Pressure Sensitive
      • Prime Labels
      • Promotional Labels
      • Security Labels
      • Shrink
      • Smart Labels
      • Speciality Labels
      • Spirits Labels
      • Wine Tables
    • Markets
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • China
      • Europe
      • India
      • Latin America
      • Middle East
      • North America
    • Equipment
      • Digital Printers & Presses
      • Flexo Presses
      • Label Converting Equipment
      • Label Fishing Equipment
    • Supplies
      • Dies And Tooling
      • Flexo Supplies
      • Ink & Coatings
      • Prepress Supplies
      • Pressrooom Supplies
      • Substrates
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Experts Opinions
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Blog
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Jobs
    • Resources
      • Supplier Gallery
      • Literature Showcase
      • Homepage Showcase
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Narrow Web Europe

    ...and brew it mein way

    ...

    Related CONTENT
    • Bobst opens digital inkjet demo center in Barcelona
    • Bobst commits to digital future
    • Bobst wins twice at EDP Awards
    • Bobst announces a new organizational structure
    • Aptech Graphics benefits from Bobst's Mouvent digital press
    John Penhallow09.11.17
    Many readers of L&NW may have forgotten the Great Beer Battle, which inflamed the drinking classes of Europe in the 1960s. An ancient German law called the Reinheitsgebot, dating back to the 16th century, laid down the only ingredients allowed for beer. Fast-forward to the middle of the 20th century, and we find Germany refusing to allow the import of French and British beers because they contain sugar and various chemicals.  The European Economic Community (forerunner of the European Union) took up the case and determined that this was an unacceptable non-tariff barrier. Ever since, Germans, along with other Europeans, can buy and consume beer freely, no matter what sort of weird ingredients it contains.

    Non-tariff barriers are much in the news today as countries make and break free trade areas. Paper is an internationally traded commodity, which generally attracts low or zero tariffs, but governments are constantly on the lookout for ways to get around trade agreements and fill the national coffers. Take Turkey, whose authorities have hit on a particularly ingenious strategy. Under the terms of its treaty with the European Union, Turkey grants “automatic import licenses” to imports of papers, including label papers. But now the Turkish authorities have decreed that if the price is below €1200 per ton, the importer must provide pages and pages of information, some of it confidential. Result number one: Turkish importers of paper now always declare a price of just over $1,200, whatever the real price paid. Results two and three: the Turkish government collects more in value added tax, and local paper producers are favored over foreign ones. At the request of the Confederation of European Paper Industries, the European Commission in July of this year launched an investigation against Turkey for breach of Customs Union rules. When and whether this will produce results is open to question, given the poor state of relations between Ankara and Brussels.

    Stand by for another quantum leap
    When Swiss company Graph-Tech AG was sold to Domino in 2012, the sale did not make headlines. When Italy’s Nuova Gidue was acquired by Bobst four years ago, it made a media splash but failed to move mountains. The birth of Mouvent, parented by Bobst and a company called Radex, has so far been given underwhelming media coverage. What brings these disparate facts together, you may ask? The answer is convoluted, but could just possibly affect the future of digital printing. These are the facts: narrow web press maker Nuova Gidue never went into digital printing. Bobst was also slow to adopt digital technology. Domino really got its narrow web inkjet program on the road after acquiring Graph-Tec AG. OK so far? Now wait for it. The same team of engineers who set up Graph-Tec and put Domino on the road to digital success is behind Radex, which today employs 80 and has brought its know-how into Mouvent, the new joint venture with Bobst. The “Mouvent Cluster Design” is at the heart of this digital technology. According to Piero Pierantozzi, ex-Radex, ex-Graph-Tec and co-founder of Mouvent, “The innovative cluster design is the base building block for all systems, current and in development. Our radical new approach is to use a base cluster, which is arranged in a modular, scalable matrix instead of having different print bars for different applications and different print widthw.”  This snippet is more tantalizing than informative, but visitors to Labelexpo will be able to visit the Bobst booth and maybe find out more. The first label presses will be desktop models, according to Simon Rothen, CEO of Mouvent. The new joint venture will become the digital printing competence center and solutions provider of Bobst, whose CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst was the one who is promising us the “quantum leap.” We wait with bated breath.

    Trade show visitors
    What is happening with print and packaging trade shows in Europe? We should all now be facing the future at least with cautious optimism, but when we look (for example) at visitor numbers for the last four drupa shows, we see a 40% drop in numbers. That hurts. Last year, the Paris-based packaging show lost 7% of visitors compared with the previous event, and this year’s Interpack, in Dusseldorf, Germany, also saw visitor numbers fall, if only by 3%. It certainly seems to be the smaller, more focused shows that are succeeding. Pharmapack, now a global brand, is progressing. Local, no-frills exhibitions are also becoming popular in Europe. As for Labelexpo Europe, its visitor numbers never seem to stop growing. Yes, the organizers do a good job marketing the Brussels event, but is that the only reason? The Brussels Parc des Expositions wowed the crowds when it was built in 1935, but it has not always been fast in moving with the times. Your correspondent remembers the early days of Labelexpo Europe when 80% of the staff at the exhibition center could only speak French and the other 20% refused to speak anything but Flemish! (This has now changed.)

    The Belgian capital, with its good communications, is clearly a plus, and hotels and restaurants are still both good and plentiful, though not as cheap as they were before Eurocrats started pushing prices up. Another plus is the absence of frontier controls within the Schengen Area (which includes 26 European countries and 420 million inhabitants), and the visa-free access enjoyed by many non-European citizens. However, the main reason for the continuing success of all the worldwide Labelexpo shows is the branding: it is a can’t-be-missed event where you can be sure to see all your suppliers and competitors. During the 2015 show, the organizers contemplated a move away from Brussels, although whether this was just a negotiating ploy was never known. At all events, the City Fathers have pulled out all the stops to smarten up the whole complex, with new connecting corridors and a lick of paint on the older and more lugubrious halls, some of which date back to the Brussels Great Exhibition of 1935. For a city proud of its cuisine, the Parc des Expositions never hit the gastronomical high spots, with overcrowded restaurants and inadequate snack bars. Now with 22 mostly brand-new franchises, the Parc will offer Labelexpo visitors vastly improved choices and hopefully zero lineups. Those interested in ancient history should look out for a large hole in Car Park C, where a recently unearthed archaeological site is being investigated.

    The majority of visitors to Labelexpo are probably more interested in labels than in archaeology, and for them the Brussels show has plenty to occupy them during its four days. Exhibitors at the show are extensively previewed in this issue of L&NW, but there are some notable absentees. One of them is Xaar, probably the world’s leading manufacturer of inkjet printheads, and a regular Labelexpo exhibitor for many years. This is probably because Xaar, though big in the label world, is even bigger in providing printheads for the ceramics and textile businesses. Also because it supplies printheads to many of the digital press manufacturers who will be showing in Brussels, and licenses its know-how to companies like Seiko, Toshiba and Konica Minolta. And lastly – dare we say it? It’s hard to get excited about a black box scarcely bigger than a cigarette pack, even when you know it’s stuffed with electronic gadgetry.

    A previous Narrow Web Europe news column reported on the mad things that people in the label business get up to,  and noted how often these people seemed to be English. Now, to hammer home the nail, comes an account of how three cyclists from Herma UK crossed Northern England from coast to coast – 165 miles with a range of mountains in the way – for a charity challenge. At the watershed they stopped for a beer at “England’s highest pub.” Despite the absence of non-tariff barriers, we can be pretty sure it was an English beer.
    Related Searches
    • media
    • modular
    • herma uk
    • people
    Suggested For You
    Bobst opens digital inkjet demo center in Barcelona Bobst opens digital inkjet demo center in Barcelona
    Bobst commits to digital future Bobst commits to digital future
    Bobst wins twice at EDP Awards Bobst wins twice at EDP Awards
    Bobst announces a new organizational structure Bobst announces a new organizational structure
    Aptech Graphics benefits from Bobst Aptech Graphics benefits from Bobst's Mouvent digital press
    Digital and Hybrid Printers and Presses Digital and Hybrid Printers and Presses
    MacDermid teams with Apex to launch FlexoKITE MacDermid teams with Apex to launch FlexoKITE
    Less power in Europe’s powerhouse Less power in Europe’s powerhouse
    Bobst launches oneINSPECTION Bobst launches oneINSPECTION
    Traco Packaging boosts press efficiencies with DIP Co Traco Packaging boosts press efficiencies with DIP Co
    Treofan installs Bobst metalizer in Mexico plant Treofan installs Bobst metalizer in Mexico plant
    Mouvent Cluster: a Mouvent Cluster: a 'new age' in digital inkjet printing
    Bobst showcases flexo presses at Open House Bobst showcases flexo presses at Open House
    Bobst M1 flexo press installed at APR Bobst M1 flexo press installed at APR's Chicago area demo center
    Labelexpo Europe 2017 Product Preview Labelexpo Europe 2017 Product Preview

    Related Narrow Web Europe

    • Dirty work

      Dirty work

      ...
      John Penhallow 11.12.20

    • Less power in Europe’s powerhouse

      Less power in Europe’s powerhouse

      ...
      John Penhallow 10.09.20

    • Low spirits

      Low spirits

      ...
      John Penhallow 09.02.20


    • A tide of debt keeps Europe afloat

      A tide of debt keeps Europe afloat

      ...
      John Penhallow 07.10.20

    • Too big to fail – will European governments step in to help COVID-stricken giants?

      Too big to fail – will European governments step in to help COVID-stricken giants?

      ...
      John Penhallo 06.04.20

    • Who will bet on offset?

      Who will bet on offset?

      ...
      John Pennhallow 04.03.20


    • The healthy, wealthy business of pharma labeling

      The healthy, wealthy business of pharma labeling

      The annual Pharmapack show in January of this year hosted more than 400 exhibitors, including around 50 directly connected with labels.
      John Penhallow 03.05.20

    • If you want to make money…

      If you want to make money…

      ...
      John Pennhallow 01.31.20

    • Want a quanta?

      Want a quanta?

      ...
      John Penhallow 11.15.19


    • Countering contraband

      ...
      John Penhallow 10.11.19

    • French leave

      ...
      John Penhallow 09.06.19

    • Weapons of mass instruction

      ...
      John Penhallow 07.10.19


    • Cherishing plastic

      Cherishing plastic

      ...
      John Penhallow 05.31.19

    • Norway looking up

      ...
      John Penhallow 04.05.19

    • A royal flush for recycling

      A royal flush for recycling

      ...
      John Penhallow 03.14.19


    Trending
    • Fathom Optics Unleashes New Technology Targeting Packaging Industry
    • Alon Bar-Shany Appointed Chairman Of Highcon Board
    • Avery Dennison Receives APR Recognition
    • Fortis Solutions Group Achieves SGP Certification
    • L&NW Sits Down With PPG's Amy Mercante
    Breaking News
    • Exhibitor registration opens for virtual.drupa
    • FTA planning in-person Forum & INFOFLEX
    • Fortis Solutions Group achieves SGP certification
    • Baldwin's Ahlbrandt unveils corona treatment product
    • Meech debuts remote monitoring product
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    November/December 2020

    • Digital and Hybrid Printers and Presses
    • Digital Printing Market Update
    • Overlamination Films
    • Narrow Web Profile: Quality Tape & Label
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Brown Fat Associated with Reductions in Chronic Disease Risk
    NIH Study Identifies Antibacterial Properties in Taurine
    NSF Begins New Certification Program
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    Zeppelin Acquires MTI Mischtechnik
    Ezio Braggio Joins ChemQuest Europe
    IFS Coatings Announce Carbon Offset Program
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    Optimize EP Launches CaRM Cardiac Device Data Management Platform
    U.S. TAVR Market Projected to Reach Nearly $5 Billion by 2030
    FDA Clears Canon Medical's Compressed SPEEDER for 3D Exams on 1.5T MR
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    KORSCH, MEDELPHARM Partner on R&D Equipment Portfolio
    Frontage Bolsters Clinical Services Capabilities
    Sanofi Unveils EUROAPI as Name of New European API Company
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Neenah to Host Packaging Webinar for Printers
    W.S. Badger is Named a ‘150 Top Impact Company’
    Mana Products, Meiyume and RPG Form The Vertical Beauty Alliance
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Amyris Named a Top Social & Environmental Impact Company
    L'Oréal Bans Animal Hair in Brushes
    Ashland Launches Antaron ECo Gel
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    dar-tech, inc. Becomes U.S. Midwestern Distributor for ZS Interpolymer
    Techkon USA, Konica Minolta Partner
    Alon Bar-Shany Appointed Chairman of Highcon Board
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Exhibitor registration opens for virtual.drupa
    FTA planning in-person Forum & INFOFLEX
    Fortis Solutions Group achieves SGP certification
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Shemesh Adds U.S. Headquarters
    TZMO USA, Special Needs Group Form Partnership
    BAHP Announces 2021 Officers, Board of Directors
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Rapid Recovery Protocol Can Lead to Increased Range of Motion After TKA
    Boston Scientific Releases WaveWriter Alpha Spinal Cord Stimulators in U.S.
    New Chief Clinical Officer on Board at IncludeHealth
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    Roadsimple Modernizes Warehouse Ops with Zebra Technologies
    Toppan Announces 2050 Environmental Vision
    SOI Industry Consortium Joins SEMI as Strategic Association Partner

    Copyright © 2021 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login