The future is not only digital
THE FUTURE IS NOT ONLY DIGITAL. THE FUTURE IS NOT ONLY DIGITAL. As gainful employment is for many people tied solely to computers and screens, powerful experiences and recreational alternatives are sought elsewhere. As gainful employment is for many people tied solely to computers and screens, powerful experiences and recreational alternatives are sought elsewhere. People are interested in counterbalancing their digital lives. This has set the pendulum in motion, with many businesses looking to set themselves apart through graphic design, high-quality presentation, and carefully considered print product families in addition to online visibility. Even the exponential growth in the popularity of audio books is a sign of this change. But even this phenomenon has its detractors. “Our literature is becoming more simplified and stupid under the supremacy of sound”, wrote Laura Lindstedt in Helsingin Sanomat at the turn of the year. She continues: “We need the idea of the future as much as we need future itself.” Similarly, we need the idea of a book – a concrete object we can touch, keep hold of, and pass on – as much as we need literature.” Thus, trailblazers will soon rediscover the fascination of printed literature, and magazines, publications, research reports, and catalogs printed on actual paper. The pendulum motion will grow stronger as larger numbers of consumers join in. And you never know; there may come a day when we discover that extreme reliance on reading via terminal devices is linked with such adverse health effects that the use of these devices must be restricted. The device is an important message in our time, and just like research continuously expands, evolves, and develops, we also find new, anthropogenic solutions for passing it on. Is it wise for universities of applied sciences to stop offering degree programs in printing technology now that the sky is the limit for the development of new printing technologies? Words matter The perceptions we cultivate of the sector or the quality of the professional we train for the Finnish workforce are therefore not irrelevant for the future of the printing industry, the print media, and the related services. The possibilities of print media extend to almost all areas of life and create traces of magic in our daily existence. Print products are linked with positive associations: the term fascination of print is often used internationally, and it should be emphasized more in Finland as well. The opportunities of print media are almost unlimited. The above image depicts the creative use of fluorescent printing colors. Almost any surface or material conceivable today can be printed on. New opportunities are constantly being implemented. For example, the German printing house Koenig & Bauer has described the print world as follows: “We do not know what will be printed tomorrow or what it will be printed on. No one does. But we are certain that print products make our world what it is: a world of people, consumers, patients, artists, employers, various printing technologies and the investors who believe in them, those who have continued to story of print for centuries, and the pioneers who shape its future. It is a world that is constantly being re-created. As a fascinating, living, and versatile world!” The leaders, entrepreneurs, employees, developers, and researchers are currently growing in various educational institutions and higher education establishments. However, Finnish universities of applied sciences have practically stopped offering master’s degree programs in graphic technology. Aalto University stopped years ago, and the last batch of Finnish MScs graduated from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in 2017, as this field of study had to be abandoned due to budget cuts targeting higher education. This development trend must be reversed as we approach the 2020s. “Print is not dead”, as they say in the leading institute of higher education for print media in the world. Printing technologies have developed by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the results of the climate change debate may turn out to be favorable to the paper industry and the print media. The media industry and the graphic technology sector have worked actively to identify key dynamics, competence needs, and alternative scenarios to allow them to succeed during this change. The graphic industry is still significant in terms of the public economy, and print media is not dead yet. Quite the opposite: for example, the share of digital, packaging, and label printing is clearly on the rise. Painovoimaa! study published to support the development of the industry Supported by a grant from Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has produced a study on the required measures and a roadmap suggestion for securing expertise in Finland. The study is published in the University’s publication series under the title Painovoimaa! Selvitys graafisen alan insinööriosaamistarpeista sekä koulutuksen houkuttelevuuden, kansainvälistymisen ja yhteistyörakenteiden lisäämisestä (Printpower! A study of the future competence needs in graphic technology, the ways to increase attraction for higher education and international networking in the field). It is an important requirement for planning future measures if we want to offer master’s degree programs in graphic technology and attract young people into the industry. The Painovoimaa! study provides a review of the changes and challenges faced by the graphic arts industry and the previous graphic technology degree programs. The data for the study is compiled from: sources of reference research theses interviews with specialists and experts in the field an electronic survey workshops an international comparison of curriculums These were used to provide an up-to-date overall view of the development of the industry update our information on the competence need for master’s degree programs identified by the graphic arts industry increase the attractiveness of the industry in the eyes of potential students. The publication also comprises a proposal for returning graphic technology studies into the media technology program as a minor subject consisting 30 credits, i.e. a single term. However, as working-life oriented education is the main function of universities of applied sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences cannot act
