Industry Leaders Support Efforts to Update Global Printing Taxonomy

(PRESS RELEASE) FAIRFAX, VA — Printing United Alliance, in partnership with I.T. Strategies and Zwang & Co., has announced progress on its initiative to provide the printing industry with a comprehensive global taxonomy.

A special advisory board has been created to guide the taxonomy project to ensure it adequately represents companies and the relative nomenclature needed to address the printing industry’s under-representation in government statistics, and help prepare the printing industry for growing business in the future, in all regions of the world.

Since launching the initiative earlier this year, there has been support from industry thought leaders across a wide spectrum of industry segments, including conventional and digital printing equipment and finishing suppliers, packaging converters, and trade associations worldwide.

The group is targeting to approve the first version of the updated taxonomy at a meeting at Printing United Expo this October in Orlando.

The Taxonomy Advisory Board is a group of distinguished print industry experts who are providing input for the updated taxonomy structure with representatives across all market segments.

• Keith Kratzberg, CEO, Epson America Inc.
• Neil Felton, CEO, FESPA
• Kurt Michalak, Fortis Solutions Group, General Manager – CT/MI/OH
• Martin Schoeppler, CEO, FujiFilm Dimatix
• Tolga Kurtoglu, CTO, HP Inc.
• Stefan Hunkeler, CEO, Hunkeler
• Beatrice Klose, Secretary General, Intergraf
• Ralf Sammeck, CEO, Koenig and Bauer
• Danny Sweem, CEO, M&R
• Ford Bowers, CEO, Printing United Alliance
• Gavid Jordan-Smith, Senior VP, Ricoh Americas

“The response we have received from this initiative has been very spirited,” says Bowers. “Without doubt, the need for a global taxonomy is universally recognized and will assist everyone in the printing industry in critical ways. We are very happy to be a part of this foundational work.”

“The printing industry in particular is in a constant state of flux, in order to meet current and future challenges, so it is of great importance to keep the taxonomy up to date,” says Sammeck.

“Printing is so much more than books, newspapers, magazines, advertising, and packaging,” adds Klose. “Properly defining and sizing our industry at international level is an extremely valuable activity that will help to combat misconceptions and demonstrate the importance of our essential sector. Intergraf welcomes the opportunity to be involved in redefining the global graphical sector’s taxonomy. We will contribute a European perspective and understanding of printed products and services to the process.”

For further details on the global taxonomy initiative, or to provide input and learn more, email Marco Boer, boer@it-strategies.com, or David Zwang, david@zwang.com.