Science Minister Bauer and CEO Hundsdörfer launch new development center project of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG

Heidelberg (ots) -

"Heidelberg is demonstrating that even a large company can reinvent
itself," says Bauer

In the presence of Theresia Bauer (Green Party), Minister of
Science, Research and the Arts for the German state of
Baden-Württemberg, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) today
officially launched its new development center project at the
company's Wiesloch-Walldorf site. In 2018, the center for around
1,000 working places will be home to the world's most
state-of-the-art research facility for the printing industry.

Heidelberg is setting new standards by investing some EUR50
million in the new innovation hub. This will create the number one
competence center in the printing industry, which has a global annual
turnover of around EUR400 billion, a figure that is increasing.

"This investment represents a new beacon in Baden-Württemberg's
research landscape. Building a development center of this size and
quality proves that Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG bases its
decisions on a long-term strategy and makes the future worth looking
forward to," says Bauer.

"We deliberately chose Baden-Württemberg because it combines an
excellent environment with highly qualified experts," stresses
Heidelberg CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer. A highly modern and
future-oriented working environment will be created in
Wiesloch-Walldorf, designed to support interdisciplinary and
cross-functional development processes.

Despite the difficult economic situation in recent years, the
company at no time cut its research budget, focusing instead on
developing new, innovative products and services.

The printing industry now requires new applications and control
technologies. Alongside traditional offset printing, digital printing
will also be part of the future and ensure that the sector enjoys
continued growth. It caters in particular to the trend toward
flexible and personalized extremely short runs. Digital 4D printing -
the printing on three-dimensional objects made from all kinds of
materials - also underscores this trend. It enables customized
printing of glass, wood, plastic, and other materials. Heidelberg is
the first company to have developed a number of digital presses for
industrial use.

What's more, customers' presses are networked with Heidelberg,
which enables new services to be offered. As a result, maintenance
work can be carried out and materials such as inks supplied promptly.
Industry 4.0 is now part and parcel of Heidelberg, because speed is
vital in both the offset and digital worlds.

A further indication of the company's transformation is the fact
that there are now over 250 software specialists working there. And
in addition to the traditional areas of expertise, Heidelberg has
also started employing chemists, for example, because the company is
now developing and producing its own environmentally friendly inks
for numerous new applications.

"The example of Heidelberg is demonstrating that even a large
company can reinvent itself," says Bauer. She firmly believes that
not only Baden-Württemberg but the entire German printing industry
will benefit from this.

"Combining development, service, and production at a single
location close to the customer will make us even faster and more
efficient in the future," says Stephan Plenz, member of the
Heidelberg Management Board responsible for Equipment.

Figure 1: Science Minister Bauer (2. from ri.) and CEO
Hundsdörfer (ri,) launch new development center project at the
company's Wiesloch-Walldorf site. Frank Kropp, Head of R&D (le.) and
Stephan Plenz, Board Member for Equipment (2. from le.)

Figure 2: Science Minister Bauer (centre) watches the latest
digital technology from Heidelberg.

Figure 3: The company's Wiesloch-Walldorf site will be home to the
world's most state-of-the-art research facility for the printing
industry.

For additional details about the company and image material,
please visit the Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at
www.heidelberg.com.

Contact for further details:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Thomas Fichtl
Phone: +49 6221 92- 67123
Fax: +49 6221 92- 67129
E-mail: Thomas.Fichtl@heidelberg.com

Original-Content von: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell