Third CIIE Opens with Printing and Flexible Packaging Innovation in Focus

The third China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened with its ceremony on the evening of November 4, formally beginning this year’s edition. Returning and first-time participants alike answered the “CIIE call.” More than 2,600 exhibitors from around the world gathered at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) to present new products, technologies and services. On the domestic side, 39 trading delegations, nearly 600 sub-delegations, 112,000 registered units and 400,000 “professional visitors” came to negotiate and trade, including many Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders.

Looking back at the first two editions, the CIIE has produced a strong record. Its year-round exhibition and trading space is seamlessly connected, and the expo’s spillover effects continue to grow, reinforcing its reputation as a “never-ending” showcase. For printing and flexible packaging professionals, what stands out at this edition?

Bigger scale, higher quality, fresher ideas

Despite unfavorable factors such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, companies from many countries remained eager to exhibit. The third CIIE’s total exhibition area grew by nearly 30,000 square meters over the previous edition. Six major exhibition areas were set up: food and agricultural products, automobiles, technical equipment, consumer goods, medical equipment and healthcare, and trade in services. Four new special zones were added: public health and epidemic prevention, energy conservation and environmental protection, smart travel, and sporting goods and events. Several areas exceeded their planned contracted space.

The average exhibition area of Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry enterprises rose 14% from the previous edition. Many firms chose the CIIE for global premieres or China debuts of new products, technologies and services, and nearly 100 companies signed up to exhibit at the next three editions. The medical equipment and healthcare area was especially busy, while the first-time public health and epidemic prevention zone expanded to six times its planned area. The CIIE trades goods and services, but it also exchanges culture and ideas. On the evening of November 4, the Hongqiao International Economic Forum took place online and offline, focusing on “Working Together to Meet Challenges, Opening Up and Cooperating to Share the Future” and discussing global economic and trade cooperation under routine epidemic prevention and control.

Printing and packaging players join the showcase

With new technologies and products on display, printing and packaging companies were naturally part of the action. Brother Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi, Canon, Honeywell and other familiar names were among the exhibitors, and several had already taken part in all three editions.

--Brother Printing at the third CIIE

Since its founding in 1908, Brother Group has focused on developing proprietary technologies. Its products and services span communication and printing equipment, electronic stationery, household sewing machines, industrial sewing machines, industrial machinery, industrial components, communication karaoke systems, marking equipment, digital printing systems and more.

At this CIIE, Brother selected a series of products tailored to China’s market and user needs, covering key lines such as printers, all-in-one machines, label makers, scanners, household sewing machines, embroidery machines, laser coding machines and high-fidelity audio. The company aims to use more than 110 years of accumulated technology to bring Chinese customers new products and solutions.

--Konica Minolta’s “identity shift” demonstrates its strength

From a document output service provider at the first CIIE to an exhibitor at this edition, Konica Minolta is showing the full strength of its digital printing on site. As a global leader in digital integrated value-added services, Konica Minolta has built its booth around the theme “Digital Interconnection, Dreaming Together with Intelligence,” presenting its business and products in China. Five zones — “Creativity Changes the World,” “Smart Connected Space,” “Smart Efficient Printing,” “Smart Creative Manufacturing” and “Smart Beneficial Healthcare” — create a multi-dimensional digital workspace and an immersive visitor experience.

--Fujifilm: an “old face” with a “new appearance”

At the first and second CIIEs, Fujifilm used “NEVER STOP” as its theme and presented a diversified image across healthcare, high-performance materials, optoelectronics, electronic imaging and graphic arts. It received about 45,000 visitors in total; multiple products signed cooperation intentions, and some cooperation has already been implemented.

As an “old face” participating for the third consecutive time, Fujifilm not only brought its latest products from multiple fields this year but also added an “Anti-Epidemic Zone” within its booth in response to the COVID-19 situation, highlighting the cutting-edge technologies and services it contributed to the global pandemic response.

Among them, the COVID-19 genetic testing kit “SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Detection kit” made its first appearance in China. Using PCR testing, the kit draws on knowledge and technology accumulated by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical in detection. It improves efficiency at each stage of reverse transcription and real-time PCR, shortening the total reaction time by 90 minutes. When combined with new RNA extraction kits developed by other companies, it can reduce PCR-based COVID-19 testing from about 4–6 hours to about 2 hours.

--Canon puts medical business in the spotlight

Canon’s focus at this year’s CIIE was on its healthcare-related business, with the company hoping to use the exhibition to fully demonstrate its strength and achievements in medical equipment. Through the CIIE platform, Canon aims to show more people that it does not only make cameras but also has a highly professional medical business: star medical equipment products, multiple smart healthcare solutions and technological achievements in “AI + medical imaging.” Beyond healthcare, Canon brought the EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera, which supports 8K video shooting; according to the company, the product has received unprecedented market response since launch. The recently released “Smart Workspace Solution” intelligent IT solution was also exhibited at the CIIE.

Canon is reportedly strengthening its B2B investment in China while consolidating its B2C advantages. Existing B2B fields include office and broadcasting/film professional imaging equipment, while four emerging business areas are commercial printing, network cameras, healthcare and industrial equipment.

--Epson makes a heavyweight appearance with six zones

As a globally recognized manufacturer, Seiko Epson Corporation of Japan announced its first-time participation this year and set up six major zones. These present more than 30 innovative solutions across dimensions such as smart factories, smart new retail, smart education, smart healthcare and smart light and shadow.

At this CIIE, Epson exhibited its PaperLab dry fiber paper recycling system in China for the first time. In just three steps, the system turns office waste paper into reusable new paper and can customize paper by thickness, shape, color and size. It can save more than 7,500 tons of valuable water each year, avoid the felling of 84 large trees and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3.8 tons. It also removes ink and toner from paper and fully fiberizes it. The entire process is completed through internal circulation, eliminating the risk of document-related information leaks through external contact and helping ensure information security.

Responding to the surge in China’s online education demand after the pandemic, Epson also brought an ink tank printer with cold print technology and a WeChat mini-program printing solution, meeting users’ need to print study materials at home.

--Packaging giant Amcor keeps protecting every day

Amcor returned to the CIIE this year under the theme “Continuing to Protect Every Day,” bringing more than 300 diverse and innovative packaging products from its three business units to Chinese audiences. Following the Amcor Shop 2019 format from the previous edition, the company upgraded its booth to Amcor Shop 2020. As a premium experience store, it presented Amcor China’s three business units — food packaging, healthcare packaging and new materials packaging — from five perspectives: protecting quality life, healthy life, technological life and green life, plus the Amcor Index. The display covered innovative packaging in food and beverage, personal care, home care, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, functional films and sustainable development.

--Sinar Mas Group lights up the CIIE with digitalization

A greener and smarter stage, online CIIE viewing, cloud interactive experiences — Sinar Mas Group APP brought these and other highlights to this year’s CIIE. As the digital economy sweeps across the world, Sinar Mas Group APP is actively embracing digital transformation. Appearing at the CIIE for the third time, the group incorporated its digital development strategy and core concepts such as green environmental protection and sustainable operation into many aspects, from its exhibiting philosophy to its booth design.

--Intangible cultural heritage printing techniques appear at the expo

In the CIIE’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage and Time-Honored Brands” zone, Wenzhou City had four intangible cultural heritage items and one time-honored brand product in the on-site “Cultural Exchange Activities” display. Wenzhou’s world intangible cultural heritage “wooden movable type printing,” along with national-level intangible cultural heritages “boxwood carving” and “Taishun string puppet theater,” took part in the Zhejiang intangible cultural heritage showcase. “Wooden movable type printing” gave live demonstrations of movable type carving and interactive ancient printing experiences, while “Taishun string puppet theater” performed live.

--Printing college students support the event

To help make the CIIE a success, not only companies but also printing-related colleges took action, from volunteer service to preparatory work. It is understood that since late September, more than 30 volunteers began pre-exhibition service at the badge-making center of the third CIIE. These volunteers are students from Shanghai Publishing and Printing College and are responsible for producing various CIIE-related badges. After practical training, they took up their posts and became proficient in the workflow, capable of making thousands of badges per day.

In such a “turbulent” environment, this was an “unusual” CIIE and a rare global gathering. The CIIE’s “old and new friends” pulled out all the stops and showed their best capabilities, with “global premieres and China debuts” arriving one after another and exhibits and services reflecting world-class standards. The exhibition is still running — more creativity and “black technologies” await exploration, and more printing elements await discovery.

--This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn), original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-357033.html