75 years of community research
for the benefit of the graphic arts industry

Seventy-five years ago, the Fogra was founded as the ‘German Society for the Promotion of Research in the Graphic Arts Industry’ by people and companies from the industry at the first Drupa. To celebrate this milestone, guests gathered at the Fogra’s first institute building in mid-October.

The Fogra was founded on 9 May 1951 at the first Drupa in Düsseldorf. Twenty-five companies and individuals initiated the establishment of the non-profit association. The first general meeting took place in Wiesbaden on 17 October of the same year, and the research topics included mask-making processes and elastic printing plates, as well as ‘dusting during printing’ and its health effects. The institute was located in the ‘Bamberger Haus’ in Munich and served as the workplace of the Research Institute for the Graphic Arts Industry until 1974. It was not until 43 years later that the next move took place to Aschheim. Over the course of 75 years, four institute directors and four chairmen of the board have been responsible for the Fogra’s affairs. During this time, 1,236 research projects were carried out, 40,472 expert opinions were issued, and 654 training courses and symposia were held with 31,470 participants.

Tobias te Neues, grandson of Fogra founding member Heinz te Neues, praised the practical and application-oriented research and gave a humorous and personal retrospective. His father, Jan te Neues, was Chairman of the Fogra Board from 1978 to 2003. Tobias te Neues has experienced the effort and commitment that this honorary position entails: ‘How often did my siblings and I hear on Sunday afternoons: ‘I’ll do a couple more hours of Fogra work’ before we can do something else.’

‘75 years of Fogra is an impressive anniversary and a significant milestone for the entire graphic arts industry. The Fogra has accompanied, shaped and actively contributed to the development of our industry over decades,’ emphasised Dr David Schmedding, Board Member Technology & Sales at Heidelberg, highlighting the institute’s important role.

Schmedding presented Dr Neufeld with a Heidelberg gear engraved with the Fogra logo ‘as a symbol of our long-standing relationship and shared history.’

Fogra

Fogra conducts application-oriented research in the fields of print and media technology and has often been able to create standards for processes and quality checks. The international members of Fogra are companies from the entire industry spectrum, from the production of print and electronic media to the manufacture of equipment. Fogra sees itself as a modern service provider that carries out meaningful tests and certifications, advises companies on quality issues, and mediates in technical disputes.