Confidence in the future of the industrial inkjet market is high, according to a new survey from FM Future and Strategic Partner Ricoh Europe.
The Future of Inkjet Survey evaluates the attitudes and trends that are driving the adoption of inkjet, speaking to 129 participants from around the world. The survey and accompanying report are available for download here.
The survey reveals that more than 95% of respondents are extremely confident or very confident in the future of industrial inkjet, and 40% foresee growth in excess of 10% over the next 12 months. In terms of achieving the required quality of production, 78% believe these requirements are close to being met in their market.
When asked which market segment they viewed as the next growth opportunity for inkjet, packaging came out on top, specifically corrugated and folding carton (56%). This was followed by the opportunity for inkjet in garment printing (46%). The décor segment was also popular, with 44% of respondents considering wallcoverings as among the top opportunities for inkjet. Overall, the packaging, décor, and textile segments are expected to lead the way in inkjet growth.
While the survey demonstrates a wealth of positivity towards the future of inkjet, it also highlights some of the principal barriers to growth; 76% either agree or somewhat agree that there are too few integrating companies of scale in the market, and this is a problem for the growth of industrial inkjet, while half of respondents believe that technical challenges are holding inkjet back in terms of growth.
Co-founder of FM Future, Marcus Timson, says: “The insights gained from the Future of Inkjet Survey confirm that the outlook for industrial inkjet is overwhelmingly positive, and confidence in the future of the market is strong. Crucially, it also offers some incredibly useful observations on the need for better education and communication in certain areas in order to facilitate continued growth. We encourage businesses that are invested or interested in the industrial inkjet space to download the survey and report to learn more about expectations for the market.”
Key findings from the Future of Inkjet Survey include:
99% feel confident in the future. Only 1% do not feel confident in the future of industrial inkjet
40% foresee overall growth in the inkjet market exceeding 10% in the next 12 months
78% believe inkjet printing will achieve the required quality of production for their market and a further 20% believe it will in time
56% see corrugated and folding carton packaging as the next growth opportunity for inkjet
50% believe technical barriers are the leading challenge facing inkjet growth
The survey is supported by association partner SGIA and contributors IMI Europe, GIS, and Sun Chemical. The report features further analysis and insight from IT Strategies.
