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A Digital, Industrial, Packaging, Lean and Environmental printing project

Project Manager

Dr Tim Claypole

Funded By

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 53.35%

Funds Awarded

€2,265,700

DIPLE emerged from a number of successful projects – notably the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC), and a further ERDF funded project that created four printing process networks.  DIPLE built on the strengths of the printing networks and identified the need to build case studies showing best practice to enhance the transfer of knowledge amongst businesses.

Think ink

As printing is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in Europe, and is a significant economic driver and major industry in Wales, there is a strong need for Welsh businesses to be at the forefront of innovation and to be involved with research and development, in order to create a sustainable, high skill sector for ongoing employment and economic development. 

DIPLE aimed to help Welsh businesses become more competitive, to improve production quality and to reduce waste and emissions to improve the environment. The project also aimed to make companies aware of the opportunities for innovation in their sector – from smart packaging, to biomedical technologies, to printed electronics. The team achieved this by…

1. Delivering new technologies to industry, helping to support the new high added value industrial and digital printing companies
2. Supporting knowledge transfer within the industry, writing case studies to show how to develop and enhance businesses in the printing sector 
3. Promoting the wider use of clean technologies and to become more environmentally friendly

Study time

The DIPLE team linked up with a number of businesses from the printing sector in Wales to carry out case studies that would help them achieve their aims.  They made sure that each case study directly benefited the company involved.

As the case studies were set up, the team identified a number of recurring themes. Colour consistency, benchmarking of colour reference books, environmental impact, employee health and safety, ink consistency and innovation were all recognised as significant factors with an impact on industry.

Tim explains, “The themes that emerged impacted on all of the printing industry in Wales, so we decided to build a toolbox of solutions to common problems and challenges using the case studies.  These gave us examples that we could share with industry to demonstrate improvements and developments in technology, processes and sustainability. 

“We conveyed this new knowledge to the wider printing industry in Wales through a series of surgeries – visits to companies and networking meetings.  These provided the links for future sustainable transfer of technology into these companies, and are also a source of identifying new topics for investigation.”

Print impress

The project has been extremely successful, both in terms of awards - recently winning a 2009 RegioStars Award from the European Commission - and also in terms of the economic impact that the project has created in Wales.

The project has created a wealth of opportunity for hundreds of businesses across Wales – with far reaching effects.  Turnover was increased for the companies assisted, by a huge four million pounds. And companies that took part in the project were given access to information and resources that they would not normally have been in a financial place to use.  They all expressed strong satisfaction and value for the results and benefits of the programme – and several are continuing to participate in ongoing projects.

Tim continues, “As well as the overarching results, benefits to individual companies are also a plus – the expertise in the WCPC made it possible for micro business Development of Water Based Timber Coating to commercialise a product for England and Wales, whilst Cambrian Printers, a major partner in the DIPLE project improved its competitiveness and reduced its environmental impact so much so that they won both a Green Dragon award and the BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation) environmental award for 2007.

“The results of DIPLE are far and wide as we are not only bringing companies closer to Swansea to be closer to the expertise and facilities available at the WCPC, but are also spreading the word across Europe - with ideas for summer schools for the printing industry in the pipeline.

“Working on the DIPLE project has been inspiring – we’ve given 180 pieces of advice to companies, and worked on 120 projects.  As the project has now come to an end I’m pleased to say that the work shall be continuing and will now be known as the Printing Technology Group, funded by annual subscription from the private sector.”

Norman Faulkner of Cambrian Printers said, “WCPC resources go above and beyond what we can achieve ourselves. Their reports provide a lot of detail but with clear conclusions to allow confident practical implementation. Their information is valid to assist management decision making, understandable for workers, and has assisted in the change of attitudes and habits for the better.  WCPC has assisted us to reduce costly printed waste and its corresponding energy. Their VOC breath testing and noise measurement assessment has allowed us to better understand these risks and make improvements to minimise them."

The DIPLE project is truly a prime example of how businesses and universities can work together in the current climate – with big benefits for all those involved.

ERDF funding notes

ERDF stands for the European Regional Development Fund. This fund paid for around 53% of the DIPLE project.

ERDF helps stimulate economic development and regeneration in the least prosperous regions of the European Union (EU).

Funding is targeted to meet three objectives set down by the European Commission (EC):

• Convergence
• Regional Competitiveness
• Employment and European Territorial Co-operation

These programmes are designed to meet current needs by targeting employment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation, high-tech business investment, among other key priorities identified by each region.

ERDF has helped a wide variety of projects - from large scale public works to small local initiatives. All are designed to benefit the regional or local economy. Grant goes to projects that would not have taken place without ERDF.