With Igor Agarkov, editor of Print+, we analyzed the position of Ukrainian printers in the current geopolitical context, the desire to find a prominent position in the global print industry, and the need to rebuild a market destroyed by war.
To what extent is the Ukrainian printing industry tied to the European market? How much to the Russian or other markets?
Ukrainian printing houses are systematically providing services for customers from the EU and producing high-quality products. Yes, there is not as much modern offset equipment in the country as we would like there to be. But it exists. For example, new Heidelberg printing machines were recently installed in Ternopil and Kyiv, and many relatively new offset machines have replenished the arsenal of printing houses in many regions of Ukraine.
The things look better in digital printing and flexography. Ukrainian printing houses have the most modern equipment and technologies.
The Ukrainian printing industry has not been integrated with Russia since 2014. Prior to the events in the Donbas, the degree of integration was very high — especially for printing houses from Eastern Ukraine and some enterprises from Kyiv. Some printing houses, however, continued to work with Russia until the current invasion, although they did not advertise this.
Ukrainian printing houses are systematically providing services for customers from the EU and producing high-quality products.
How much, in general, do you think Ukrainians feel European today? How much will they be in the future?
We share European values. Given the constant problems in politics, Ukrainians elected all our presidents in a democratic way. The nation has the spirit of freedom in its blood.
Today, Ukrainians are consolidated as never before. We are ready to share European values and see ourselves in the EU, unlike European politicians who do not see us there. Macron or Scholz are continuing to appease the distraught leader of the aggressor country.
People working in Europe do not lose touch with their homeland. Today, many labor migrants have returned to Ukraine to defend it from the aggressor with weapons in their hands. I am even sure that Ukrainian women forced to leave for Europe will try not to be a burden for the local population and will join the ranks of volunteers or work at their profession.
I have recently helped several Ukrainian women in finding work by their major. Such requests continue to come. We also publish information about vacancies from Poland, Latvia, and other countries in our public channels on social networks.
We do not strive to live forever on grants and subsidies from the EU or the US. We know how and want to work and earn ourselves.
Which challenges await Ukraine and its print industry?
We do not strive to live forever on grants and subsidies from the EU or the US. We know how and want to work and earn ourselves. I am sure that all printing houses in Ukraine will strive to restore business as soon as possible.
The quick recovery of printing will depend on several factors. The most crucial ones are personnel and the lack of consumables. The lack of professionals was there before. With the growth of the economy in 2021, it has become less noticeable, but now the situation is understandably uncontrollable. Many will have to start from scratch.
As for the consumables, there is an obvious crisis in the world market, which leads to a shortage of paper, carton and other product groups that are in demand in the printing industry. In combination with aggression in Ukraine, the situation seems to be very complicated. I think a lot will depend on the desire and readiness of vendors to support the Ukrainian printing industry not in words, but in deeds. They should cancel quotas on the supply of raw materials, and also introduce loyal conditions for their shipments.
The support of vendors is also required at our company.
We are ready to convey the messages from world manufacturers to the target audience in Ukraine using our electronic and paper media. We count on mutuality from the companies of in the industry.
