Digital printing equipment manufacturer Durst has officially opened a new facility to house internal spin-off businesses and start-ups.

Known as Durst Kraftwerk and located in Brixen, Italy, close to the company’s global headquarters, the 5300sqm facility has been built to facilitate a ‘creative environment where the companies can fully concentrate on their respective areas of expertise,’ according to Durst Group CEO and co-owner Christoph Gamper.

Kraftwerk is also the home of Vanguard Europe, the European branch of US company Vanguard Digital Printing Systems, which Durst Group acquired in 2020. The manufacturer of digital printing systems for signage, decor, corporate, industrial and packaging, manufactures for the European market at this location, as well as having its own customer centre.

Mr Gamper continued, ‘Born out of the need to give our US acquisition Vanguard Digital Systems a home in Europe, the idea for the “Durst Kraftwerk” was born, as a powerhouse that brings together our spin-offs and start-ups and offers them a new home. In this way, we provide a creative environment where the companies can fully concentrate on their respective areas of expertise, without the burden of integration into an established structure.’

Mr Gamper said, ‘I am grateful and proud of the individual co-founders and their teams and convinced that top performance and business success will go hand-in-hand in the Durst Kraftwerk. In fact, we’ve already created 35 highly qualified jobs by the time of the opening. In the final expansion stage, more than 100 employees will be researching, developing, designing, optimising and teaching at the Kraftwerk, helping to shape tomorrow’s production processes and methods.’

Harald Oberrauch, owner of Technicon Holding, said, ‘[We] unite internationally successful companies such as Durst Group and Alupress under one umbrella. At the same time, we act as an incubator to promote new business ideas that arise in our companies’ environment. From a bird’s eye view, we can clear hurdles more quickly, accelerate development processes and connect teams. We aim to create a true innovation centre for specialised service providers at the Durst Kraftwerk.’