KONICA MINOLTA GLOBAL CEO IN AUSTRALIA

The global CEO of Konica Minolta, Toshimitsu Taiko, is paying his first visit down under, meeting staff and customers, and outlining the company’s strategy for its production print and industrial print (PPIP) division.

Taiko-san is touring with ANZ execs Yohei Konaka, the local chairman and managing director, and Andy Cocker, general manager, PPIP.

He said, “I am also here to listen. Konica Minolta places great importance on the views and experiences of its customers, they are a valuable part of product development.”

Established just 21 years ago, PPIP now generates some ¥200bn (A$2.1bn) in revenue, representing almost 20 per cent of the entire Konica Minolta business, and is growing at between five and eight per cent a year.

Within PPIP it is the industrial print (IP) area that is growing fastest. Included in IP are the KM-1 B2 sheetfed press, the AccurioLabel presses, the GM label converters, and the MGI JetVarnish and KM Accurioshine digital embellishing systems.

In production print there are a dozen print systems, and speciality finishing systems. Taiko-san said, “In production print Konica Minolta will focus on the mid to high level sector, because this is where the greatest transfer of analogue to digital will occur.”

In the inkjet sector he said that B2 print businesses will gain the confidence to install inkjet when they see the first adopters doing well with their inkjet presses. He said Konica Minolta was the global market leader in B2 inkjet with its KM-1 and derivate models.

However, he said Konica Minolta would not be entering continuous-feed inkjet, but would focus on B2 sheetfed in inkjet. He said, “Innovation for improved product performance and productivity will be the focus across our entire portfolio, along with improving the environmental credentials.”

He said improved workflow efficiencies, as highlighted in the SmartFactory concept at drupa, will be pursued, but he does not see full ‘lights-out’ print production coming any time soon. He said, “We will though be developing AI and machine learning to minimise downtime and improve customer service.”

With the founders of MGI - the Industrial Print company Konica Minolta acquired in 2016 - set to retire at the end of this year, Taiko-san said there would be further harmonisation of MGI’s technological assets, and an acceleration of the integration process.

Taiko-san said, “Stability and quality are the key fundamentals of Konica Minolta PPIP solutions, and the main reason why they have proved so popular with commercial printers, here in ANZ and around the world."