Only months after the project was announced, Sogemedia's pioneering digital newspaper printery is in operation at Imprimerie de l'Avesnois.

Equipped with Kodak Prosper 6000C inkjet press and manroland FoldLine finishing, the operation in northern France already taken on production of several weekly newspapers.

"What is so great and unique about it is that the newspaper now addresses readers individually in their everyday reality and covers their personal reading interests," Sogemedia group president Jean-Pierre de Kerraoul says.

Plans are to print 265,000 copies a week of the 18 weekly titles, which have print runs between 3000-40,000 copies, and progressively increase targetted and personalised content.

Managing director Gilles Mevel says that while the project "involves a bit of adventure", the group will prove that digital print opens up "promising publishing and commercial outlooks" on the shrinking print media market.

Some six million Euros has been invested to create what is being called "a minor publishing revolution" with project partners La Semaine de L'Allier, Liberté Hebdo and Le Journal de la Haute-Marne also using the new print facilities.

Apart from the press and finishing linbes, equipment includes a Rima stacker, the three connected via manroland's WorkflowBridge workflow integration software. manroland digital printing vice president Alwin Stadler lauds his "courageous, future-oriented customer" and the development of a creative business model: "In the project, 90 per cent of the weekly newspapers have print runs between 5000-12,000 copies, which with the high degree of job changeovers and variable data used, are ideal production requirements for the workflow applied here."

Sogemedia communications manager Oriane de Kerraoul says it is now possible to print a customised copy for every user: "Local and regional information form a common editorial basis for the different editions of the same newspaper, but with changeable content, this basis can be tailored to readers' environments and their thematic preferences, such as sports, gastronomy, and leisure.

"This allows readers to play a part in personalising their informational content, just like they do online. The advertising model for local weekly newspapers will also change with digital production, above all because the areas of distribution overlap much better with advertising customers' trading areas. As a result, small businesses and dealers can advertise at a lower cost.

"At the same time, the newspaper can anticipate a significant increase in advertising customers. Digital printing enables larger advertisers to adapt the content of their message at no further cost. This opens up new options for addressing target groups individually and effectively."

From an editorial and marketing point of view, Sogemedia is forging new paths and using digital media to incorporate customers into newspaper development based on variable data. A website called 'Mon Blog' (My Blog) has just gone live promoting an exchange between editorial staff and readers, allowing readers to test and track creation of personalised newspapers, and as a forum for ideas and suggestions.

Pictured: Part of the new production line in Avesnes-sur-Help