People's lives have changed dramatically with the rapid evolution of digital technologies such as the IoT and DX. People's values have been diversifying and market demands changing enormously. In addition, the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on paradigm shifts. Consequently, drupa2020, the world's largest printing equipment exhibition held every four years, was canceled. It represents a valuable opportunity to identify technological trends. Many of today's printing technologies have evolved by solving problems formed by the market, customer demands, and the social environment. In terms of technological innovation, drupa has played a critical role and triggered the growth of numerous products. In this volume, we will look back on the technological innovations in printing together with drupa and predict future technological trends.

This paper looks back on drupa2021, held earlier this year, as an online exhibition and summarizes the trends of the event. Although various innovations were seen on the part of exhibitors, the issue of how to respond to changes in the external environment remained, given that the printing industry is an equipment industry. In addition, it is hoped that the printing business will manage to adapt the trend of digitization into the market from the perspective of digital transformation for the future.

The fact that Heidelberg's booth was not the largest, but that of HP, the leading manufacturer of digital printing systems, exhibited in the largest area, combined with the expansion of offset press manufacturers' business into digital printing, made drupa 2016 a major showcase of the presence of digital printing-related technologies in the printing market. Since then, companies have worked on development for drupa 2020, but it was first postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and finally held as a virtual exhibition. This section describes analog and digital printing systems introduced in and around the virtual.drupa 2021.

drupa2021 was strictly virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it has still demonstrated that it is short of the summit of the printing industry. It indicated the future era of print including, but not limited to, issues such as the North-South divide, inferiors overthrowing their superiors, counterattack of analog, and the endless stream of workflow. The printing industry after COVID-19 will be led by the 3rd generation workflow that will automate all related equipment in one and streamline the production for 24/7 smart factory, design-oriented creative factory, and w2p mass customization factory. At the same time, 4th generation print workflow will be open and connected with external systems from other industries to create, improve, and maintain the entire supply chain as the ecosystem.