The Voice of Converting & Flextronics

In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we spoke with Sara Alexander, Marketing & Communication Manager Flexible Packaging at BOBST Italia. One major focus of our interview is BOBST's sustainability strategy. General market trends Sara Alexander sees innovations happen in the areas of automation, digitalisation and AI, among other things. "The hottest topic is sustainability," she emphasises. "We want new materials, new structures, new applications, and at the same time we want to get rid of the excess." Major changes ahead According to the industry expert from BOBST, "The flexible packaging world that we have known and have been comfortable with for so many years will evolve and change." Learn more about BOBST's sustainability strategy, Sara Alexander's takeaways from this year's drupa tradeshow in Düsseldorf, and her view on paper as a possible replacement for plastic films!

For our podcast The Voice of Converting, we spoke with Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions at NürnbergMesse GmbH, and Phuong Anh Do, Manager FACHPACK. NürnbergMesse is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - and FACHPACK is celebrating with it. Many novelties in the anniversary year Phuong Anh Do looks ahead at FACHPACK 2024 (24-26 September): "We have just reached the final phase of preparation for our supporting programme – and there are actually quite a few things that our visitors can look forward to! Firstly, there is our PACKBOX, which has been firmly established for years and is known as an expert forum for current topics and trends. This time, the first day will focus on the topic of "Market and Consumption". On the second day, we will talk about the circular economy, PPWR and sustainability. And on the third day, we will be focussing on the topic of "Man and Machine" – this also includes artificial intelligence with its challenges and opportunities. According to Heike Slotta, "first and foremost, a trade fair is an exchange platform. The two major issues currently facing the packaging industry are the implementation of EU legislation and the demands that a weakening economy is placing on the market. If fewer products are manufactured, fewer products can be packaged. We want to accompany this change in the packaging industry. As a platform that brings everyone together in one place and provides space for presentations, we play an important role here." Last-minute insights In this 30-minute podcast, you will gain exclusive insights into the work of the FACHPACK organisers and what they anticipate the most.

For our podcast The Voice of Converting, we spoke with Julia Fuhrmann and Patricia Sailer. Julia Fuhrmann is Systemic Advisor for Digital Transformation & Sustainable Organisation Development, while Patricia Sailer is Owner of INSUI GmbH - Digital Transformation Consult & INSUI Online Shop “Natural Healthy”. A conversation about the digital potential of SMEs. Achieving strategic goals With our two guests, we are talking about the question of where, when and how the possibilities of digitalisation can be useful for a company's strategic goals. With over 22 years of experience in digitalisation, Fuhrmann and Sailer boast a systemic understanding of the issue at hand, which is the basis for obtaining answers that can also be implemented in practice.

For our podcast The Voice of Flextronics, we met with Thomas Kolbusch, Vice President at Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH in Dormagen, Germany. A conversation about future technologies, networks and current major projects. From the niche to the high-tech industries ‘Until 2018, we were a family-run, medium-sized plant and mechanical engineering company that, due to global competition, specifically looked for niches in which we had a competitive advantage,’ explains Kolbusch in our podcast. ‘We entered the fuel cell sector at the end of the 1990s with our first pilot systems for coating, printing and lamination. We entered these markets very early on and brought a great deal of expertise with us - not just on the systems, but also on the products and markets. We have multiplied this approach and positioned ourselves in a wide range of high-tech and deep-tech markets.’ Three major projects As part of the podcast, Thomas Kolbusch presents three current major projects involving Coatema: the cooperation with the ALTANA start-up HELIOSONIC, the construction of a large-format OPV production plant in Greece and the IDEEL project, which is highly relevant for the battery sector. https://www.coatema.de

In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we talk to Ilkay Özkisaoglu, one of the leading German-speaking voices in the LinkedIn network. A conversation about B2B content creation, reach and algorithms. "One cannot afford to not be on LinkedIn" Özkisaoglu says: "Of course, I believe, one cannot afford to not be on LinkedIn. But there are different personalities. Some people like to show themselves in public and some people don't like to show themselves in public. One of the main reasons is FOPO, "Fear of People's Opinion", i.e. the fear of being judged by other people. Reach is achieved by the people, the employees, the boss, the C-level. LinkedIn is very generous and theoretically grants these people unlimited reach, provided they do it well." Connecting the global workforce According to Özkisaoglu, there are currently 22 million active members in the DACH region. When he signed up in 2008, there were one million. There's still room for improvement! Worldwide, LinkedIn has now cracked the billion mark. However, this platform also has to contend with hackers, fake accounts and dubious zero-follower profiles. Learn more about Özkisaoglu's unique LinkedIn strategy and his personal journey towards becoming "The Social CEO" in our current episode of The Voice of Converting!

In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we talk to Lena Lührmann, strategy consultant for medium-sized companies specialising in "innovation and securing the future". Securing the future Lührmann says: "Securing the future is actually a general term for the fact that, in my opinion, companies should know their expiry date. In other words, what threatens me, which technologies, which future regulations or political developments will influence and perhaps jeopardise my business area in the future? And that you always push this date of your own obsolescence as far away from you as possible. Securing the future is therefore actually necessary for all areas of the company: Personnel, skilled workers, business model, products, services, digitalisation, etc. Innovation is only a small part of safeguarding the future, but it is not enough to push this expiry date further away and always anticipate what could affect your company next." Image and reality of GenZ Another focus point of our interview: the perception and image of GenZ in the German economy. Lührmann states clearly: "SMEs have everything that GenZ needs and wants. SMEs are actually predestined to see people for what they are, to remain loyal to them, to give them security and variety. But this is simply not yet being used strategically. Conversely, GenZ also needs to understand that adaptation is not a one-way street."

In this episode of The Voice of Converting, we talked to AI expert Michael Welsch, who brings generative models such as ChatGPT to the production lines of the converting industry with his company Octopus Digital GmbH. From mechanical engineering to artificial intelligence Welsch started out his career as a mechanical engineer. Then, in 2016, when he was working on his PhD, he met a colleague who had just returned from a conference in Las Vegas. He found the conference itself boring, but there was a hackathon on machine learning at the same hotel. At first, Welsch laughed out loud and wondered what that was supposed to be. This colleague then showed him what it was all about. And overnight he decided to drop everything. "I‘m joining in now! Back then, we already knew where the journey was heading, but we weren‘t quite ready to call it AI yet." Bringing analytical AI into production lines Welsch then founded his first company in 2018 to bring analytical AI into very broadly diversified production lines. Two years ago, the topic of generative AI came up – and now he is working on industry-specific solutions in this area. These primarily include printing, converting and coating machines, which Welsch believes are perfect for AI integration! In our Podcast, Welsch showcases the enormous possibilities of artificial intelligence within the converting sector. And he is certain: "AI is one of the most powerful tools mankind has ever created!"

In this episode, we welcomed Alexander Houben, CEO of JHT Jakobs-Houben Technologie GmbH. The company from Geilenkirchen, Germany, has its core competencies in coating and engineering. In The Voice of Converting, Houben talks about making his company future-proof and the new management structure that had been announced at the beginning of the year. New management team As of 1 January 2024, Alexander Krause took over the positions of Deputy Managing Director and Chief Technical Officer (CTO). Moreover, Steffen Lambertz now heads up product development at JHT as Chief Product Officer (CPO) with immediate effect. The company management sees JHT as a key player in the roll-to-roll finishing sector in the future. The energy transition is a particular focus: the demand for battery electrodes, catalyst-coated membranes and other products is constantly increasing. JHT’s machines have established themselves in these and other industries. Together with partners from industry and research, the process and system technology will be further developed and optimised in cooperation projects. Creativity and flexibility In our Podcast, Houben also emphasises the lean and flexible structure of his company. JHT thrives on creativity, he is certain. https://jht.eu

Teresa Walter-Leitzgen is our current guest on The Voice of Converting Teresa Walter-Leitzgen has been working in digital and content marketing since 2015. Before focussing on digital strategic consulting for companies, Teresa studied ethnology, law and political science at Goethe University in Frankfurt. Through her passion for triathlon and running, she has built up her own brand on social media and also implements multi-channel campaigns for regional and international clients. Public image on the social web In her podcast interview with Martin Hirschmann, Teresa tells us how she turned her passion for triathlon into a wide-reaching Instagram presence - initially by chance, but then professionally. Today, companies from various sectors benefit from her expertise and take their public image on the social web to a new level. LinkedIn also plays a major role in Teresa's work. In the podcast, we discuss why even small and medium-sized companies can benefit greatly from social media. GenZ - better than its reputation? We also talk about the image of GenZ and how it is portrayed in the media. Teresa explains why, in her view, much of the criticism levelled at the younger generation misses the mark. Expert at the M2N Converting Gipfel After the podcast is before the Gipfel: Teresa Walter-Leitzgen will be a speaker at the M2N Converting Gipfel in Hamburg (27-28 June 2024). The topics in this podcast provide an initial insight into her expertise - we cordially invite you to Hamburg to find out more!

Who are we - what are our goals? Welcome to our German-speaking pilot episode! We launched the PRO Converting and PRO Flextronics media hubs just over a month ago. A lot has happened since then. After a lot of positive feedback from the industry and even more work in the background, it's now time to ignite the next stage of our newly launched rocket! Welcome to our podcast! For the pilot episode, the three founders, Nina Pirchmoser, Nadine Bauernfeind and Martin Hirschmann, sat down together and give an outlook on the coming months. So before we start with the factual topics (it's almost time!), we would first like to introduce ourselves. Competent, personal and entertaining - just as we want our podcast to be in the future. Podcasts are all the rage As a classic "incidental medium", podcasts have become serious competition for radio. Whether in the car, to fall asleep or by candlelight in the bathtub - many people can no longer imagine their everyday lives without this audio infotainment. However, reporting on the converting industry has so far been very thin on the ground. That is now changing! Look forward with us to many hours of information and entertainment with exciting personalities and experts on the subject of converting.