IPI 2025 keynotes unveiled: robotics, human-machine interfaces, and the future of industrial printing

The Industrial Print Integration (IPI) Conference 2025, a leading event for functional and industrial printing, has announced its keynote programme.

Taking place 12 to 13 November 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Düsseldorf-Neuss, Germany, IPI 2025 will deliver insights from global research institutes, technology users, and analysts on the disruptive trends shaping tomorrow’s manufacturing.

Keynote sessions

Wednesday, 12 November

AI Powered Robotics: Market and Technology Trends

Dr Werner Kraus, head of robotics at Fraunhofer IPA and leader of AI innovation centre learning systems and cognitive robotics.

From model free grasping to cobot welding and imitation learning, this keynote explores how AI powered robotics are transforming production and logistics.

Dr Kraus will also present the vision of ‘automation of automation’ for high mix, low volume production and show how digital toolchains can reduce engineering effort by up to 50%.

Wednesday, 12 November

Dead Fronts, Light Guides, Hidden-Til-Lit Displays: How Inkjet Enters Human-Machine Interfaces

Manuel Klemens, plant manager, CCL Design and Dr Andreas Willfahrt, head of development, intelligent labels, CCL Design.

This session highlights the role of inkjet in creating next generation HMIs for automotive, electronics, and industrial applications. Through real world case studies, the speakers will demonstrate how inkjet delivers design freedom, precision, and adaptability, opening new opportunities for advanced interface design.

Wednesday, 12 November

A New Direction for Inkjet: Why Are Chemical Kinetics Accelerated in Microscale Droplets?

Professor Ronan Daly, professor of advanced manufacturing in the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. He leads the Fluids in Advanced Manufacturing research group.

Inkjet’s ability to precisely control droplet volume, velocity, and placement is opening new frontiers beyond printing. Professor Daly will show how this capability can be applied to drug delivery and to accelerating chemical reaction kinetics, highlighting the potential of inkjet as a powerful tool for advanced manufacturing and biomedical applications.

Thursday, 13 November

Keynote and Wrap Up: The Future of Functional and Industrial Printing

Jon Harper-Smith, print consultant at Smithers

The printing industry is diversifying well beyond paper, with specialised processes creating components and functional materials across electronics, packaging, textiles, and décor. In this keynote, Smithers will present an expert overview of the global market outlook, identifying both opportunities and threats for the next five years. Drawing on exclusive insights from The Future of Industrial and Decorative Printing to 2029, Jon Harper-Smith will highlight the technologies driving change, the applications with the greatest growth potential, and the challenges facing industry leaders as print continues to expand into new functional domains.

‘Our keynote programme reflects the most urgent and exciting conversations happening in industrial printing today – from robotics and automation to sustainable inks and next generation applications,’ said Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA. ‘IPI 2025 is about more than technology updates; it is about shaping the roadmap for future manufacturing and connecting the experts who will make it happen.’

In addition to the keynote programme, IPI 2025 will feature almost 60 technical presentations, spotlighting innovations in printhead design, functional inks, 3D applications, automation, and sustainability. For the first time, the conference will also include OEM perspectives from SPGPrints, MicroCraft, and C-marx, providing real world user insights into new applications and production challenges.

The tabletop exhibition will bring together more than 60 industry leaders and academic partners, including Agfa, Fujifilm Dimatix, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Sun Chemical, University of Cambridge, and others.

Event details

Date: 12 to 13 November 2025.

Location: Crowne Plaza, Düsseldorf-Neuss, Germany.

Programme and registration: ipi-conference.com