Fujifilm crowns top European print partners in Vienna to drive Revoria and Apeos expansion

A Strategic Shift in the European Market

The recent Fujifilm European Partner Conference in Vienna—themed "Make More"—was not just an occasion for handing out commemorative plaques. For those of us tracking market signals, this gathering was a clear declaration of the manufacturer's tactical footprint in Europe for 2026. Following earlier decisions to pull back from specific industrial and wide-format segments in Western markets, Fujifilm has concentrated its capital and R&D heavily into two highly competitive verticals: Print-on-Demand (POD) production and Device Technology (DT) office print. The regional distributors recognized at the Hilton Vienna Waterfront are effectively the vanguard executing this pivotal strategy.

During the conference, Kazuo Tamura, corporate vice president of FUJIFILM Business Innovation, made it explicitly clear to delegates that Europe is "central to our next growth phase." To arm its partners for this push, Fujifilm used the event to launch critical hardware into the European market. Most notable was the Revoria PC2120, the new flagship POD press that builds upon the high-end professional printing architecture of the PC1120. Simultaneously, the company rolled out the Apeos C3567 and C3061 multifunction series, emphasizing smart automation, strict network security, and a lower environmental impact via their proprietary ELFEAT toner technology.

The 2026 European Partner Award Winners

Sophisticated hardware requires specialized integrators. The 2026 European Partner Awards highlighted the companies excelling at this "last mile" of technology delivery across the continent:

• Jet Tech Group secured the prestigious European Partner of the Year award, reflecting serious sales momentum in the POD business. Managing Director Steve Andrew noted that the award underscores a core philosophy of helping commercial printers maximize the return on their digital press investments.
• Delo Kantoorkenners claimed the DT Master Award. The company has been instrumental in aggressively rolling out the Apeos portfolio across the Netherlands and BeLux markets—a notoriously tough region for office tech penetration.
• Shimone Group Ltd was recognized not once, but twice, securing both the Portfolio Excellence Award – Special Recognition and the European Partner of the Year – Special Recognition, emphasizing their robust client development.
• Tyche Group walked away with the Apeos All Star Award, a direct nod to their success in scaling sales for the multifunction printer line.

The Channel Defines the Future

Why does this matter to the broader print and packaging industry? Because in 2026, the era of OEMs relying solely on direct sales is largely over. The cost of customer acquisition is too high, and regional nuances are too deep. Selling a high-speed digital press today isn't just about moving heavy iron; it requires integrating color management software, managing substrate compatibility, and navigating legacy IT infrastructures. Matthew Wrighton, Head of Device Technology and Partner Development at Fujifilm Europe, reinforced this reality, pointing out that local market knowledge is the true differentiator. A motivated, well-rewarded partner network is the only sustainable mechanism for OEMs to drive widespread adoption of new digital platforms against deeply entrenched competitors.

Rewarding and empowering local channel partners is a pragmatically brilliant move by Fujifilm, ensuring its technology actually reaches the print floors that need it most. As the lines between commercial production print and high-end office technology continue to blur, are regional distributors fully equipped to handle the complex software integrations modern presses demand? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai