Canon Showcases Sustainable and Collaborative Initiatives at drupa 2024

The ‘Printworks’ area, themed ‘People, Planet and What’s Possible,’ showcases sustainable growth strategies adopted by Canon’s customers.

At drupa 2024, held at Messe Düsseldorf from May 28 to June 7, Canon is highlighting its theme 'The Power to Move' through key partnerships and initiatives that emphasize collaboration for positive change. Canon's participation reflects its Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good. As part of this commitment, Canon will donate 20,000 books produced during the event to various causes.

Visitors to the Canon stand can explore a variety of collaboration activities, including:

World Unseen

At the center of Canon's stand is 'The Core,' offering an immersive, multi-sensory exploration of print's emotional impact. This area brings to life Canon's 'World Unseen' initiative with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), allowing visitors to experience images captured by renowned photographers in a unique and inclusive way.

Printworks B2B Partnerships

The 'Printworks' area, themed 'People, Planet and What's Possible,' showcases sustainable growth strategies adopted by Canon's customers. One highlighted project is 'Creative Futures,' a collaboration with 'The Drum' and other industry experts. This project invites UK-based start-ups to compete for a chance to accelerate their marketing through an individualized omni-channel strategy and print campaign. The 2024 winner, Bower Collective, a provider of natural household and personal care products in reusable packaging, will display its products and story at the Canon stand.

Another initiative, Publishing 2030 Accelerator, aims to drive global progress on sustainability in publishing. Canon's collaboration with this initiative, which emerged from its Future Book Forum community, seeks to establish a Distributed Printing Network to reduce the carbon footprint of book production.

Partnerships for Good

Printworks will also highlight charitable partners supported by Canon's donation of around 20,000 books, including the UN SDG Book Club African Chapter, which introduces children to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Lucy Swanston, founder of the UK literacy charity 'Topic Heroes,' will be at the Canon stand to promote the mission of helping children enjoy and learn writing. Topic Heroes allows children to write their own stories, which are then digitally printed and given to them and their schools. Canon, along with finishing partner Meccanotecnica and the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, will donate 1,000 Topic Hero books to Ukrainian children in need of educational materials.

In an effort to minimize the environmental footprint of its exhibition participation, Canon will donate 10,000 postcards, posters, and brochures printed at the Canon stand to German non-governmental organizations.

Support for The White Hands Chorus Nippon

Canon is also supporting The White Hands Chorus Nippon (WHCN), an inclusive choir founded by Artistic Director Erika Colon. The choir brings together children with and without physical disabilities, with deaf members expressing sound and emotion through sign language, movement, and facial expression. Images from the choir's visual interpretation of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and the white gloves used in the event are displayed at the Canon stand.

Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director of Marketing & Innovation, Production Printing at Canon EMEA, commented: "Images, literature, and music enrich lives, and we believe these experiences should be accessible to everyone. Canon supports a range of initiatives aimed at fulfilling this ambition, and we're proud to showcase these causes at drupa 2024. They exemplify our Kyosei philosophy – living and working together for the common good. Through partnerships, we aim to inspire positive changes for the broader print sector and beyond."