HEIDELBERG SHIFT 2026 Puts AI and Hybrid Print on Stage

27 August 2026: HEIDELBERG SHIFT 2026 will bring print executives, technology specialists and customers to Germany on October 6 and 7, 2026. The programme spans halle02 in Heidelberg and HEIDELBERG’s Home of Print in Wiesloch-Walldorf, with sessions on AI, workflow automation, robotics and hybrid digital-offset production.

What will HEIDELBERG SHIFT 2026 cover ?

The second SHIFT event follows the forum’s 2025 debut. According to the official SHIFT 2026 programme, the first day will examine how print businesses can use connected data, automated workflows and AI in daily production rather than treating them as distant concepts.

Scheduled speakers include representatives from SAP, Meinders & Elstermann, Lunes Robotics, August Faller, MDM-DRUK and several consulting and print businesses. Their sessions cover industrial data systems, hybrid workflow software, humanoid robots, packaging automation and the problems companies face when several suppliers try to automate the same production floor.

Two venues give SHIFT 2026 a practical format

Each day has a different purpose:

• October 6, halle02 in Heidelberg: presentations and customer accounts will run from 9:30 a.m., followed by an evening networking programme. Dr. David Schmedding opens the agenda before SAP’s Nadine Kanja discusses industrial data ecosystems and AI.
• October 7, Home of Print in Wiesloch-Walldorf: the programme moves to HEIDELBERG’s Print Media Center for demonstrations and breakout sessions. The venue houses commercial, packaging and label production systems; Screen Print India has previously covered its Home of Print customer centre.

How will HEIDELBERG SHIFT 2026 demonstrate hybrid print ?

HEIDELBERG plans to run Prinect Touch Free across several production methods. The scheduled demonstration will assign jobs to the most economical route using current job data, whether that means the Jetfire 50 or Jetfire 75 inkjet press, a Versafire toner press or a Speedmaster offset press.

The official agenda describes the session as the first live demonstration of Prinect Touch Free before an audience following its announcement at drupa. Meinders & Elstermann will also discuss its day-to-day use of the workflow for digital print production.

The Jetfire sessions will cover the B2-format Jetfire 75, the Jetfire 50 with inline finishing and production-cost comparisons. For technical context, Screen Print India’s earlier report explains the Jetfire 75’s B2+ format and Prinect integration.

Where does AI fit into the print workflow ?

AI appears in both management and production sessions. The programme includes HEIDELBERG workflow applications, AI-assisted quotation generation, production-data analysis and agent-based tools used by a consulting firm. A robotics session will examine carton folding, pallet handling and machine operation, while also addressing limits that still block routine use.

This focus extends beyond the event. HEIDELBERG has already added natural-language production analysis to its customer portal through HEIDELBERG AI Performance Chat. SHIFT 2026 will place such software beside presses, finishing equipment and production workers, where attendees can judge what works and what remains experimental.

FAQs …

When and where is HEIDELBERG SHIFT 2026 ?
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at halle02 in Heidelberg and Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the HEIDELBERG Print Media Center in Wiesloch-Walldorf, Germany.

How can print professionals register ?
HEIDELBERG has opened an official registration form.