14 | Regulars / NewsNewsINX launches venture capital fundINX International Ink has established INX Venture Capital to make minority investments in technology and materials science start-ups with strategic relevance to the printing inks and coatings value chain. INX Venture Capital will be a USD 50m investment program focusing on sustainability and circular economy technologies, digital printing, business and manufacturing automation, and services Optikett is Optimum Group’s 17th memberfor brand owners. The fund is jointly run with Touchdown Ventures, a providers of Optikett becomes part of Optimum Groupcorporate venture capital managed services. German converter is group’s 17th member LemuGroup German self-adhesive label converter Optikett has become the 17th member of Optimum Group. The current management remains in place within the organization. acquires MidaThe addition of Optikett fts well within the European growth ambitions of Converting equipment specialist LemuGroup Optimum Group and will signifcantly expand its presence in Germany. As part of has acquired fellow Spanish manufacturer the Optimum Group, Optikett will beneft from increased capacity, a wider range of Mida Maquinaria. Founded in 1993, Mida self-adhesive labels and fexible packaging and greater delivery reliability as part of an Maquinaria manufacturers equipment international printing group. for printing and digital fnishing and For Optimum Group, the addition of Optikett expands its footprint in Germany embellishment. In recent years, it has and strengthens its position as one of the leading players in northwestern Europe specialized in the high-end wine label, in the feld of labels and fexible packaging. With the addition of Optikett, the cosmetic and nutraceutical label sectors. group now consists of 17 member companies located in the Netherlands, Belgium, Jokin Iruretagoiena, sales director for the Germany and Denmark, with each member company having its product and market Label Division at LemuGroup, said: ‘This combination. is a very important step in positioning ‘For Optikett, the acquisition by Optimum Group represents the next step. Scale LemuGroup as a key integral supplier of is becoming increasingly important in our industry: to achieve effciency gains, but solutions for the label industry worldwide.’much more to supply our customers professionally, fexibly, and reliably,’ said Daniel Ostendorf, managing director of Optikett. Durst appoints Agfa reenters packaging print market Africa distributorAgfa-Gevaert Group has acquired Inca Digital Printers to strengthen its position Durst has appointed Masaka Business in high-speed digital printing and bring an additional focus on packaging printing Solutions, based in Casablanca, Morocco, as markets. Inca Digital Printers is a Cambridge, UK-based developer and manufacturer a distributor for its Tau RSC digital label press of advanced high-speed printing and production technologies for sign and display in north and west Africa. Masaka Business applications as well as for the rapidly growing digital printing market for packaging. Solutions is headed by Houssine Chekkar, who Inca brings a complementary portfolio of printing technologies and a solid has more than 20 years of expertise in the technological platform to launch single-pass printing presses for the packaging printing industry and has held senior positions market. ‘The Inca acquisition is a major step in Agfa’s transformation. Digital printing at Xerox and HP Indigo in the region. is a proftable growth engine for the group with tremendous potential that will be further accelerated by the addition of Inca,’ commented Pascal Juéry, president and Xaar expands Swedish CEO of the Agfa-Gevaert Group.tech centerWacker opens Michigan innovation centerXaar’s new technology center in Sweden was Wacker Chemie has opened a new regional Innovation Center in Michigan, which opened by CEO John Mills at a ceremony will develop high-margin biotech and silicone specialties for high-tech applications held along with chief operations offcer, and serve as the headquarters of Wacker Chemical Corporation, responsible for Graham Tweedale, and members of Xaar’s North and Central America. The research campus is part of the company’s growth advanced applications and technologies campaign announced at the end of March. Wacker intends to signifcantly expand its team. Based at Campus Solna in Stockholm, market position in the USA and other target regions through investments in research and at nearly 400sqm, it is twice the size of and development, additional production capacities, and accelerated growth. The the previous facility and houses a state-investment for the research building, which also acts as an administrative center, of-the-art laboratory with new equipment, amounts to around EUR 40 million.offces and meeting spaces. labelsandlabeling.com