Kodak launches Global Flexo Awards

Kodak is calling out for printers to enter its Global Flexo Innovation Awards, launched to celebrate its tenth anniversary year of introducing its Flexcel NX digital flexographic plate system.

The awards aim to recognise companies using Kodak technology to drive industry transformation of flexographic standards worldwide. It will examine flexo commercial packaging projects printed using Kodak Flexcel NX Plates.

The categories range across use of creative graphic design, conversion from other print processes, print production workflow efficiency and commitment to sustainable print.

The ultimate winner will be invited to attend an exclusive gala celebration with the panel and Kodak representatives.

Nine experts from South America, the US, Australia and Europe are judging. Roslyn Russell, senior packaging technologist from Kimberly-Clark Australia is set to be on the panel.

[Related: Kodak to host Prinergy seminar]

Pier Luigi Sassanelli, independent consultant, Empowerims, is acting as chairman of the judging panel for the awards. He says, “In my opinion, these are the first awards to look beyond the package, as it were, and evaluate how it impacts on the entire value chain.

“Other programmes begin and end with how a piece of flexo print is produced, but Kodak recognised that there’s more to it than simply the technical specification. This is why we are judging submissions against four distinct criteria: how they use creative design — for shelf impact, for example, or to create an innovative user experience; whether they represent conversion to flexo from other processes — gravure, offset or digital; how efficient the production workflow is; and the strength of their sustainability credentials.

“By asking these questions we hope to discover what the genuine innovations are, the ones with real strategic substance. And the answers will also tell us more than who the winners are: they will give the flexo industry as a whole unrivalled insights into what is happening now, and what might happen in the future. Taking everything into account, I think it is a revolutionary approach.”

Entries close October 16. For more information on the awards, visit transformationalflexo.com.