Chris Schowalter · Global Sales Director software · DURST Group · DURST Next
At The Durst Next event in Brixen, Wayne Beckett speaks with Christian Schowalter, Global Sales Director Software at Durst, about one of the company’s most ambitious initiatives ever: Kyveris and the vision of creating truly intelligent, connected manufacturing.
Celebrating Durst’s 90th anniversary was not only an opportunity to reflect on the company’s remarkable history, but also to present a clear vision for its future. Christian explains that while Durst will continue to build world-class printing systems, the company’s long-term ambition extends far beyond hardware. The goal is to become the partner that helps customers move towards highly automated, data-driven, and ultimately lights-out production.
The conversation explores what Kyveris actually is. Rather than being another workflow product, Kyveris is an open industrial intelligence platform designed to connect machines, workflows, business systems, operators, and, eventually, robotics into a single ecosystem. Christian explains that collecting data is only the beginning. The real value comes from creating a common data layer where information from different systems can be understood, shared, and transformed into actionable intelligence through artificial intelligence.
One of the key principles behind Kyveris is openness. Durst is developing the platform to be vendor-neutral, allowing equipment from different manufacturers to participate in the same connected production environment. Christian believes this open approach is essential if printers are to benefit fully from automation and AI, as modern production environments rarely consist of equipment from a single supplier.
The interview also discusses Durst’s acquisition of callas software, a strategic investment that strengthens the company’s expertise in PDF processing, workflow automation, and OEM software development. Christian explains how callas plays an important role in Durst’s broader software strategy while continuing to serve partners throughout the printing industry, reinforcing the company’s commitment to openness rather than creating closed ecosystems.
Looking ahead, Christian discusses Durst’s ambitious target of connecting 600 companies to the Kyveris platform by 2030. While challenging, he sees ambitious goals as an essential part of driving innovation and ensuring that the entire organisation continues to think beyond today’s products towards tomorrow’s manufacturing environment.
A fascinating conversation about software, artificial intelligence, open ecosystems, and why Durst believes the future of printing will be built on connected intelligence rather than standalone machines.
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Fri June 26th
Matthais Miederer · Sales Manager · Scodix ...
At Durst's Print Next event in Brixen, Wayne Beckett speaks with Matthias Miederer, Regional Sales Director DACH at Scodix, about the continued evolution of digital embellishment and why the technology is becoming increasingly relevant across commercial print, packaging, and wide-format applications. Having spent more than a decade working with digital embellishment technologies, Matthias reflects on his journey through the industry and explains why joining Scodix represented the next logical step. Today, he is responsible for the DACH region, one of Europe's most important markets for value-added print, where printers are increasingly looking beyond commodity production towards higher-margin applications. The conversation explores the launch of Scodix's newest platform, which significantly expands the range of printable substrates. From lightweight commercial papers to corrugated board, rigid materials, Dibond, and acrylic, the new press enables print service providers to address a far broader range of applications with a single investment. For many businesses, this opens opportunities to serve new markets while creating greater flexibility across existing production. Wayne also asks an important question that many print service providers may be considering themselves: if you don't already offer digital embellishment, where should you begin? Matthias believes the starting point is not the technology itself but the business case. Digital embellishment is fundamentally about creating additional value, allowing printers to differentiate their products, command higher margins, and generate new revenue streams rather than competing solely on price. The discussion also highlights the growing opportunities within packaging, where shorter production runs and increased demand for premium finishes continue to drive interest in digital embellishment technologies. As brands look for ways to create greater shelf impact without sacrificing flexibility, solutions such as those from Scodix are becoming increasingly relevant. A fascinating conversation about innovation, value creation, premium print, and why digital embellishment continues to open new opportunities across multiple print markets.