FuturePrint Podcast

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In this episode, we are joined by Fredric Petit and Franko Vrhovac from Emerald Technology Ventures and we discover more about investment into new print and packaging technology. 
Emerald is not a traditional fund. It operates at the intersection of venture capital and open innovation, acting as a matchmaker between startups and more than 50 global corporates seeking new technologies and solutions across industrial innovation. With over 25 years of experience and more than $1bn in assets under management and advisory, Emerald helps corporates identify promising startups - and invests when commercial traction is proven.
The conversation unpacks why packaging became a priority for investors six to seven years ago - driven by shifting waste economics, rising consumer pressure, corporate 2030 targets and tightening regulation. It also explains why printing is now emerging as a key lever for change, from sustainable marking and reduced consumables to improved uptime and fewer SKUs.
Crucially, the episode clarifies what investors look for: clear differentiation, a focused value proposition, a credible team, and evidence of market pull. Sustainability matters, but it must come with a compelling business case.
Finally, Fredric and Franko share how Emerald’s “Sprint” programmes connect corporates and startups to accelerate pilots and real-world adoption - turning interest into implementation.
A practical listen for founders, innovators, converters, brands, and anyone navigating the future of print, packaging, and industrial sustainability.
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What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

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This episode is 2 of 2 and is an interview with keynote speaker Güneri Tugcu 
Following the themes of 'When Packaging Talks Back', we ask 'Will Print Listen'?
What if the most valuable thing you print isn’t colour or coverage, but credibility? We explore how connected packaging turns labels and care tags into living product identities, and why printers who embrace this shift can move from commodity supplier to trusted strategic partner.

We dive into the rise of digital product passports in fashion and beyond, where serialized QR codes and NFC bring traceability, compliance, and authentication to the front line. That task sits squarely in print’s wheelhouse—if we evolve. We talk through the real blocker (culture, not hardware), and show how hiring for curiosity and consultative skills can complement world‑class engineering. Instead of chasing the same specs as ten competitors, bring brands a clear outcome: compliance readiness, anti‑counterfeit protection, first‑party data, and consumer engagement powered by the codes you print.

Compensation models often sink good ideas, so we unpack how capital‑equipment sales incentives clash with recurring software and analytics. The answer isn’t a full rebuild. Start small with a blended pilot team—press veterans, product thinkers, and sustainability voices—tasked to run workshops, shape simple offers, and co‑sell with marketing, legal, and procurement in the room. We share practical steps to reposition as a partner: frame connected packaging as the foundation of data, trust, and long‑term brand value; measure learning speed, not just revenue; and invite diverse minds to pressure‑test solutions before they hit the line.

By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to stand out in tenders on more than price, earn a seat at higher‑level conversations, and future‑proof your business as regulations tighten and buyers demand richer product experiences. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a review telling us the first pilot you’ll run.
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What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

Send a text
This episode is 1 of 2. 'When Packaging Talks Back' is followed directly after for episode 2 by 'When Packaging Talks Back: Will Print Listen'?
Packaging used to be a dead end for brand relationships. Now it’s becoming the front door. We sit down with keynote speaker Güneri Tugcu in the first of a 2 part podcast, to unpack how connected packaging turns every product into a digital touchpoint that delivers utility, trust and measurable outcomes long after checkout. From post‑COVID shifts in shopper behaviour to the rise of QR‑powered journeys, we get practical on what scales, what fails and how to build value that keeps customers scanning.

We dig into the standards making this real: GS1 Digital Link and Project Sunrise 2027, which aim to replace the traditional barcode with a single “master code” that serves retailers and consumers alike. That change unlocks Digital Product Passports, granular traceability, anti‑counterfeit checks that feel like service rather than suspicion, and dynamic content shaped by context. Gunnary shares hard‑won lessons from SGK, Digimarc and Amazon, showing how convenience, not copy, sets expectations—and why serialisation and identity are now the backbone of loyalty, warranty, resale and recycling.

The conversation also tackles ownership and design. Retailers still control the aisle, but brands can earn parallel, permission‑based relationships by respecting privacy, offering clear benefits and making tasks effortless—think instant warranty registration instead of hunting for old receipts. In textiles and fashion, looming regulations will force item‑level IDs across the board, pushing converters, brands, platforms and retailers to orchestrate together. The dividing line ahead is clear: campaign thinking that spikes and fades versus infrastructure thinking that compounds insight and lifetime value.

Ready to turn print into a persistent, digital channel? Listen now, share with a colleague who needs to hear it, and subscribe for future conversations. If this helped you rethink packaging, leave a quick review—it helps more people discover the show.
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What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

Send a text
What if a single set of shared principles could align printers, brands, material suppliers, and recyclers on a faster path to low‑carbon, circular print? We sit with HP’s Carlos Lahoz to map a practical route from belief to measurable change, grounded in a nine‑principle Sustainable Print Manifesto that is already reshaping how companies brief suppliers, plan R&D, and report progress.

Carlos explains why the industry needed a common language instead of another compliance badge, and how principles create clarity without constraining innovation across publishing, large format, labels, and packaging. We break down what “sustainable print” actually means to different stakeholders—consumers seeking recyclability, brands asking for compostability, suppliers focused on certified fibre—and why carbon footprint and circularity must sit at the core. Then we move into phase two, where smaller working groups turn the manifesto into playbooks: decision guides for material choices, data fields for job‑level carbon accounting, and workflow tweaks that slash waste while protecting throughput and quality.

You’ll hear how collaboration between nominal competitors can lower costs for better materials, standardise measurement, and bring carbon transparency into prepress and MIS. We talk about scaling pledges to build momentum, the value of using the principles in RFPs and customer conversations, and early adopters who already frame corporate reporting around the manifesto. The aim is simple and bold: decarbonise print and improve circularity without sacrificing margins, using shared tools, shared data, and shared ambition.

Ready to help set the standard for sustainable print? Read the principles at Manifesto for Sustainable Print, sign the pledge, share it with your network, and if you have deep expertise—from fibre science to recycling logistics—join a working group to shape the next wave of practical guidance. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which principle you want to action first.
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What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany

Send a text
In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Marcus Timson is joined by Nova Abbott, Claire Goodchild, and Sarah Goodchild – the creators of the documentary Clean Slate: Rethinking Events.
Drawing on decades of experience across global exhibitions, brand events, and live experiences, the trio explore a hard truth about the events industry: while events are temporary by design, their environmental impact is anything but.
The conversation unpacks how time pressure, habit, and “last-minute thinking” drive unnecessary waste - particularly in areas like graphics, signage, carpets, and event builds. The film features some eye-opening research tracking what actually happens to event waste after breakdown, revealing that even “recyclable” materials often end up incinerated or in landfill. Together they reflect on the professional and personal tension of learning about the environmental impact of events, while continuing to working inside a fast-moving, dynamic and creative industry.
Crucially, this is not a preachy sustainability discussion. The film, and this conversation, focuses on systems, not blame. The creators explain why real change starts at the very beginning of the event planning process, and why sustainability only becomes expensive when it is treated as an afterthought.
From the importance of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to building confidence to challenge “business as usual”, this episode is a thoughtful, practical call to rethink how events are designed, delivered, and dismantled.
A must-listen for anyone involved in events, exhibitions, marketing, or live experiences – and anyone who attends them.
Listen on:

Apple Podcast
Google Podcast
Spotify

What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS, 29-30 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Leaders Summit, 29 September '26, Valencia, Spain
FuturePrint Industrial Print, 14-15 April '27, Munich, Germany