manroland Signs Contract with Rivet Presse Edition

AUGSBURG, GERMANY—May 2, 2012—A revolution for newspapers in France where distribution-optimized newspapers in different formats will be produced digitally under a first agreement within the manroland and Océ strategic alliance has been unveiled by Rivet Presse Edition, an innovative contract printer.

Tomorrow’s newspaper à la carte with cutting-edge concept
Under a project called Synapse, which has been developed in close cooperation with the publisher of the regional French daily L’Echo, in Limoges in the center of France, a cutting-edge business model—a world-first for newspapers—has been established that will open up new editorial opportunities for publishers.

National and regional daily newspapers, as well as foreign editions of titles, will be printed in the order they are required for delivery to outlets in a defined area around Limoges, which will be less than 90 minutes’ journey time from a new 960-square-meters production plant. An administration building with 1,200 square meters will be built in the overall ten million euro investment—the majority of which will be on the new manroland and Océ production equipment—that will also market and showcase the potential value-added offering to open up digital printing opportunities for other Publishers.

Variable content to create a stronger relationship with readers
Thanks to the digital printing technology, the newspaper of the future can be built on variable content to create a “new and stronger” relationship with readers and help rebuild circulation and advertising revenues, as well as improve interaction between print and new media. Some of the leading names in France are expected to sign up for the commercial operation. In future newspapers will still have the same core news and features, but readers can receive their own personal content according to their own specific interests or of their region of interest.

The new digital process for newspapers will offer a new economic model supporting “editorial innovation,” according to Christian Sirieix, the executive leading the project for Rivet Presse Edition. Central to the success will be using a cutting-edge production line consisting of integrated manroland and Océ equipment.