FESPA has again furthered its international reach by welcoming the Japanese Screen Printers Association (JSPA) to the organisation as an Associate Member, with immediate effect.
Formed in 1972 and headquartered in Tokyo, the JSPA itself consists of 11 regional associations representing over 200 print service providers. The JSPA undertakes a wide range of activities on behalf of its members, such as liaison with government agencies, promotion of government measures for assisting small-to-medium sized companies, as well as education and the exchange of information between overseas organisations. The JSPA’s links with other trade associations in Japan provide a key resource to the country’s thriving screen printing industry. The organisation’s website can be found at www.jspa.org.
“At the JSPA we pride ourselves on the ability to provide our members a wealth of information and resources,” says JSPA Chairman Mr Tokuo Uchida. “Now, as an Associate Member of FESPA, we will be able to offer even greater value thanks to the international links and expertise that FESPA stands for.”
Mr Uchida is supported in his role as Chairman by 5 Vice Chairmen, i.e. Mr Masayoshi Hayashi, Mr Hiroshi Yoshida, Mr Yuichi Nishida, Mr Norio Kunieda, Mr Tadayoshi Kunita, also by the Executive Director Mr Hideki Iijima and the Secretary Mr Takeshi Yoshino. Communication with Overseas Organisations such as FESPA, ASGA and SGIA is the responsibility of the International Committee, the Chairman of which is Mr Yuichi Nishida, assisted by the Vice Chairmen Mr Toshio Yamashiro and Takeo Teraoka, and by the Committee Members Mr Tsuneo Midorikawa and Mr Kohei Kono.
The JSPA’s members will now have access to FESPA’s range of educational, training and best-practice development tools, and have the opportunity to participate in many international projects currently in development. In turn, FESPA will benefit from stronger links with the Japanese printing industry, making the information exchange on new technologies/applications, new products, environmental regulations and market trends easier.
Nigel Steffens, CEO of FESPA, comments: “We are absolutely delighted to bring the JSPA into FESPA’s global family. Japan’s screen and digital printing industry is vibrant and diverse. Not only have Japanese equipment manufacturers delivered remarkable advances to the world market, the country’s print service providers are highly skilled and are setting fine examples in applying the screen printing process to industrial sectors, such as packaging and electronics.
“The Asia-Pacific region as a whole is a significant player in the global screen and digital printing markets, and FESPA is committed to expanding its reach and influence into this region in cooperation with our associate members, as evidenced by the launch of our FESPA Asia-Pacific exhibition in Thailand in November 2008. We believe that this important partnership with the JSPA will be mutually beneficial, and very much look forward to working with our new associate member in the months ahead.”
FESPA
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