Cees Bolijn · AI, Data, Innovation · Probo.nl · DURST Next

At Durst’s Print Next event in Brixen, Wayne Beckett speaks with Cees Bolijn from Probo, one of Europe’s most forward-thinking print service providers, about automation, robotics, AI, and why the future of print production is being built one step at a time.

Having spent the previous days attending Durst’s software sessions, Cees shares his perspective on Kyveris and how it aligns with Probo’s own automation strategy. While Probo is developing many of its own systems, he sees significant opportunities to combine Durst’s vision with the company’s existing infrastructure. For Probo, the objective is not simply workflow automation—it is the intelligent utilization of machines, materials, and people across the entire production environment.

One of the most fascinating parts of the discussion focuses on robotics. Rather than placing robots directly on individual production devices, Probo is taking a broader logistics approach, using automation to move materials efficiently between machines and to create flexible production lines capable of handling different products and workflows. It is a strategy designed to maximize overall efficiency rather than optimize individual machines.

The conversation also addresses one of the industry’s biggest concerns: the impact of automation on employment. Cees believes robotics will inevitably change certain job functions, but rather than replacing experienced employees, the goal is to redeploy their skills towards higher-value activities such as predictive maintenance, process optimization, and quality control. At the same time, artificial intelligence is already helping to accelerate software development and simplify user interface creation, allowing innovation to move faster without necessarily increasing the size of development teams.

Although Probo’s automation journey only began around a year ago, measurable improvements are already visible. Better machine data, improved production sequencing, and greater visibility across operations are enabling the company to utilise both equipment and staff more effectively while laying the foundation for increasingly autonomous production.

The interview concludes with a preview of INKISH FLOW, taking place at Probo later this year, where visitors will have the opportunity to experience many of these technologies in a real production environment and see first-hand how automation, robotics, and AI are reshaping modern print manufacturing.

A highly insightful conversation about intelligent manufacturing, practical automation, and why the journey towards lights-out production is accelerating faster than many printers realise.