Koenig & Bauer has announced that its digital unit, previously operating under the group’s umbrella, will be spun off from the holding company.

The result will be a wholly owned subsidiary, Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH, that will be part of the special and new technologies segment.

Sandra Wagner, previously vice-president of digitalisation at Koenig & Bauer, has been appointed managing director of Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH.

According to Koenig & Bauer, the spin-off of its innovation hub as an independent entity marks an important milestone in the consistent implementation of the company’s digital strategy. Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH will continue to concentrate on the development of digital business models as well as AI and data-driven solutions throughout the entire life cycle of print products.

“We are convinced that this strategic spin-off, combined with the concentration and consolidation of our outstanding expertise in the field of digitalisation, will make a significant contribution to the long-term success of our company,” said Dr Andreas Pleßke, CEO of Koenig & Bauer.

The digital unit was launched in 2022 as part of the consistent implementation of the group strategy, ‘Exceeding Print’.

Sandra Wagner, managing director of Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH said, “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. With Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH, we are creating the necessary organisational structure of an agile software company, which enables us to respond even faster and more comprehensively to the needs of our customers”.

Koenig & Bauer said the transformation into an independent software company enables the targeted development and expansion of specialised areas such as digital sales, a dedicated onboarding and support team, and sustained customer care through customer success management.

The digital unit’s product portfolio already includes myKyana, the central portal for the digital product world; Kyana Assist, the AI-powered chatbot for fast assistance and problem solving; Kyana Data, the intelligent production data analysis tool, and VisuEnergy X, the energy management system optimised specifically for the print and packaging industry.

In addition to the products of the Kyana ecosystem, which are specifically tailored to the needs of traditional machine users, the digital product portfolio is being expanded by the Connected Packaging solution presented at drupa 2024.

The existing digital product portfolio of Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH is constantly being expanded with further pioneering AI and data-driven applications.

Christian Steinmaßl, who as a member of the group management is responsible for various business units in the newly created special and new technologies segment said, “Digitalisation is a central driver for innovation and progress in our industry. With Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH, we are able to bundle expertise in the field of digitalisation in a more targeted manner. Growth in this promising market segment will be further driven forward while maintaining close links with the group strategy.”

Koenig & Bauer Kyana GmbH said it will continue to “work closely with the other business units of Koenig & Bauer in order to leverage synergies and offer customers a holistic solution”.