Stefano De Marco · CEO · Tecnau Sitma

Tecnau has changed significantly over the past few years. The company is still deeply rooted in digital print finishing, but acquisitions, software development, packaging automation and a much stronger focus on service are steadily expanding what Tecnau wants to be for its customers.

At PRINTING United 2026 in Las Vegas, Morten B. Reitoft meets Stefano De Marco, CEO of Tecnau and Sitma, for a conversation about that transformation.

The acquisition of Sitma has been an important part of the journey. By combining Tecnau’s experience in high-speed digital finishing with Sitma’s expertise in packaging, fulfillment and logistics automation, the group can increasingly follow the printed product much further through the production chain.

And the timing may be particularly relevant.

Printers everywhere are dealing with increasing labor costs, difficulties recruiting skilled operators, rising material prices and constant pressure on margins. For Stefano, that makes automation less about impressive technology and much more about helping customers remove cost from production.

Tecnau’s Revolution 50 AutoSetup is one example. Automated job changeovers allow customers to move between applications with minimal operator intervention, reducing setup time, paper waste and dependency on highly skilled labor. The objective is increasingly to create production environments where short runs and even single-copy jobs can move through finishing without traditional manual setup.

But finishing is only one part of the equation.

With Sitma, Tecnau is also looking at what happens after the printed product is finished. Packaging and fulfillment remain surprisingly manual in many printing companies, and Stefano sees considerable opportunity to automate those processes as well.

That is why the Sitma acquisition is more than simply adding another range of machinery. It allows Tecnau and Sitma to connect production, finishing, packaging and fulfillment in a broader workflow — helping customers move further toward what the company describes as “From Print to Profit.”

Software is becoming equally important.

Tecnau Connect gives customers visibility into machine utilization, uptime, production performance and recurring problems. Instead of simply installing another piece of equipment, Tecnau wants customers to understand how effectively their existing equipment is actually being used.

That distinction is important.

Increasing profitability doesn’t always require buying another machine. Sometimes the opportunity is hidden in downtime, inefficient setups, unnecessary waste or production capacity that isn’t being fully utilized.

Behind Morten and Stefano at the booth, Tecnau’s message says it very clearly: maximize uptime and minimize waste.

There is also another important development coming in February 2027.

For the first time, Tecnau will officially exhibit at Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne. For Stefano, the invitation represents something larger than simply another exhibition. He sees it as a sign that one of the industry’s most important digital-print events is becoming a broader and more open platform for technology suppliers across the market. Tecnau has confirmed its participation at HID27, February 22–25, 2027.

That also reflects how the digital production market itself is changing. Press manufacturers, finishing suppliers, workflow companies, robotics specialists and packaging technology providers increasingly need to collaborate if customers are going to achieve genuinely automated production environments.

And for Tecnau, that seems to be the direction of travel.

Finishing remains at the company’s core, but the conversation is becoming much broader: automation, software, packaging, fulfillment, service, production intelligence and ultimately profitability.

Watch Morten B. Reitoft’s conversation with Stefano De Marco from Tecnau | Sitma at PRINTING United 2026 in Las Vegas.