A CULTURE OF INNOVATION Headquartered in Bedford, Fujifilm UK is a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. Fujifilm itself was founded in 1934 as a producer of photographic film under the name Fuji Photo Film. “Since then, it has been a story of continuous innovation and expansion into new areas of business using the core technologies that were developed for the production of film,” explains Andy Kent, general manager of Fujifilm Graphic Communications UK. Fujifilm’s newly-built UK HQ is 30,000sq ft and houses its Medical and Imaging Solutions divisions, as well as Graphic Communications. In June, Fujifilm opened its Print Experience Centre (PEC) which was created to bring together technologies and products from the company’s Graphic Communications and Photo Imaging divisions. The PEC is a 1,200sq ft design space located at Fujifilm Europe and Fujifilm Deutschland’s premises in Rattingen, Germany. Representing a real ‘call to action’ for all visitors, the PEC acts as a collaborative space where attendees can imagine and experience the present and future of the printing industry. Printing systems at the PEC include the Jet Press 750S, Revoria Press PC1120, Revoria E1 Series, ApeosPro C Series, Imprinting systems, and Acuity Prime. Something For Everyone For print, Fujifilm UK has a considerable range of products from analogue to digital, wide-format to small-format, inkjet or toner, litho and flexo plates, and a host of screen printing products. “I feel that we could knock on almost any printers’ door and have something to talk about!” Kent says. For the sign industry, the company offers a popular new range of wide-format printers in the Acuity Prime range of flatbed printers and UV inks, developed and manufactured in the UK which ensures best-in-class quality and reliability. In addition to the Acuity Prime range, the Acuity Ultra R2 is a highly productive superwide roll-fed printer for 3-5m substrates, and there is also the Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED (5m) and a new smaller version that will be showcased at The Print Show in September. With the company offering so much, it’s unsurprising to hear the day-to-day running of operations at Fujifilm UK is very busy! Kent explains how the company takes orders and delivers hundreds of product lines every day with a “fabulous” team of people making sure customers receive great local service. In addition to this, the company is constantly processing, planning, and installing digital equipment orders, as well as servicing and maintaining customers’ equipment via Fujifilm’s experienced engineering team. With all this in mind, Kent explains that everything the company does is based on one core motivation: contributing to the advancement of society. “Our biggest asset in that mission is our culture of continuous innovation and driving change via new, cleaner sustainable technologies,” he says. Driving Innovation Constantly being set challenges by the drive for innovation, this year alone Fujifilm has launched an entirely new digital toner business, new wide-format equipment, and is currently installing Europe’s first Fujifilm inkjet press for flexible packaging – and it’s still only the summer! This new machine has been installed at Germany-based Fokina and will be used alongside the company’s 5m Acuity Ultra to produce superwide prints. Fokina invested in an original model Acuity Ultra in February 2020 and used it to print Fujifilm’s stand graphics for a number of events including FESPA last year. The company then went on to purchase the new machine at FESPA 2023. The company will use the new Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED to boost its productivity and working alongside the Acuity Ultra will bring an even greater level of flexibility, printing on substrates such as Forex, PVC, Dibond, self-adhesives, banners, and mesh. With a mission of continuous innovation and driving change keeping things busy at Fujifilm UK HQ, we catch up with general manager Andy Kent to find out what’s been happening at the company, both in the UK and globally I feel that we could knock on almost any printers’ door and have something to talk about! ▲ Andy Kent, general manager of Fujifilm Graphic Communications UK 35 www.printmonthly.co.uk September / October 2023 - Issue 344 75,000 - staff at Fujifilm globally 51 – staff at Graphic Communications in the UK 30,000sq ft – size of Fujifilm UK HQ £40m – Graphic Communications UK turnover Statistics COMPANY SPOTLIGHT / FUJIFILM UK
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