Cutting Systems
A New Chapter for Highcon: First Insights from CEO Yair Alcobi
Highcon is pleased to welcome Yair Alcobi as its new CEO, marking the beginning of a significant new chapter for the company. In this interview, Yair shares his thoughts on joining Highcon, his vision for the company and his insights on the future of digital die cutting.
fundamental elements of digitalisation, allowing for more integrated, effi cient and innovative production processes. Packaging and display converters are ready and willing to embrace digitalisation, with much less skepticism than before. The conversation has shifted from whether to incorporate digitalisation into processes to determining where it will have the most impact.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your professional background? Yair Alcobi: My career spans over two decades in the technology and manufacturing sectors, with a strong focus on growth and innovation. Most recently, I was the CEO of XJet, a 3D printing company where I honed my expertise in leading a growth-driven, deep-technology startup. Before that, I served as president of the PCB division at KLA, a global leader in the semiconductor industry, where I managed a large global division, signifi cantly increasing revenue and doubling operating profi ts. My experience in East Asia as president of Orbotech East Asia, a subsidiary of KLA, was equally enriching. I managed various business, sales and marketing roles in the Pacifi c, giving me a strong grasp of the needs of top-tier manufacturers.
My experience in these roles, particularly in scaling operations and driving process improvements, aligns well with Highcon’s goals for growth. I understand the importance of reliability, effi ciency and scalability in production environments.
Q: You joined Highcon shortly after attending drupa 2024. What are your key takeaways from the world’s leading trade fair for printing and packaging? YA: My visit to drupa 2024 was eye opening. I observed a highly mature industry that recognises that innovation stems from digitalisation. The connectivity of software between manufacturers, extensive use of data and automation are
Q: What challenges has Highcon overcome and how has the company evolved since 2016? YA: Since joining Highcon and refl ecting on the company’s journey, it is clear that Highcon has come a long way since drupa 2016. Initially, there were concerns about the quality and productivity of our laser-cutting technology. However, from what I have seen, substantial investment in R&D and close collaboration with our customers have driven signifi cant improvements. Highcon now off ers solutions to the challenges posed by ineffi cient traditional processes for short runs. While our brand is well known, it is evident that initial market expectations were ahead of their time, which posed challenges in the beginning. By drupa 2024, it became clear that these expectations have shifted, with the industry now recognising that our digital systems complement, not replace, analog ones. In my short time here, it has become clear that
Highcon has been steadily transitioning from being seen as a prototyping company to becoming a full-scale production company. The evolution has been driven by years of investment and development and, today, with advancements like the Highcon Beam 3 and Highcon Beam Writer, the company is now ready for consistent, repeatable and high-quality production.
Q: How do you see Highcon fi tting into the evolving trend of short runs in the packaging and display industries? YA: Short runs are becoming essential, not just growing. Highcon is positioned to meet these demands. Converters are increasingly challenged to maximise plant productivity amid more frequent short runs, versioning and streamlining operations, while traditional processes excel in the mass production of high-volume jobs.
Brand owners are driving the creation of more SKUs, all within the context of signifi cantly reduced turnaround times. Our systems are designed to handle shorter production runs effi ciently, which is crucial as brand owners push for more SKUs and faster turnaround times. There is a clear market need for our solutions and we believe we have an almost perfect product-market fi t. It is crucial that we stay on course with our product roadmap to continue meeting industry demands.
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November 2024
www.convertermag.com
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