Hewlett Packard has renewed its commitment to research at the University of the West of England (UWE) by appointing Stephen Hoskins as Hewlett Packard Professor of Fine Print.
Stephen Hoskins' second five-year term as chair will continue until 2014.
He is director of UWE's Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) and was first awarded the HP Chair of Fine Print in 2003.
During Hoskins' 10 years as director of the CFPR, the centre has also received over 20 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grants.
Hoskins has been personally awarded eight AHRC grants, and has supervised four successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).
He is a practicing artist, has written two books and holds two patents.
The CFPR develops digital print research at the cutting edge of technology and has an international reputation for the quality of its research, said HP.
According to HP this position is a direct result of the impact Hoskins and his team have had through collaborations with HP relating to technical and artistic issues.
The work is carried out globally, working mostly with HP's printing divisions in Barcelona, Spain, San Diego in the USA and the HP Laboratories in Bristol, UK.
The CFPR's plans for future research include rapid prototyped 3D printing, in collaboration with HP laboratories in Palo Alto, USA.
Professor Hoskins is one of only a few people allowed exclusive access to HP's San Diego facility, where the most secret of HP's products and ideas are developed.
Dr Gary Dispoto, director of the Print Production Automation Laboratory in Palo Alto will be the CFPR HP mentor for the next five years.
The HP Chair of Fine Print is funded by the company's sponsorship of UWE's Centre.
During the last 10 years, the CFPR has collaborated with HP Research Laboratories in Bristol, San Diego and Barcelona on a range of projects.
Alongside the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, the National Gallery in London, UK and The Louvre in Paris, France, the Centre for Fine Print Research was possibly a surprise entrant for Hewlett-Packard's Arts and Science Philanthropy Programme in 2000 added the company.
Huw Robson, director of the Media Technologies Laboratory at HP Laboratories in Bristol, said: 'We began the project looking to support and inspire pioneering centres of excellence in arts and science and we had previously been aware of the unique work undertaken at CFPR but it wasn't until the Arts and Science Philanthropy Programme was underway that we realised just how this could potentially have a positive benefit for us as a company.
The CFPR brought a wonderful mix of skills to the programme - a deep understanding of traditional print-making techniques together with a passion for pushing digital printing technology to produce extraordinary results.
The other groups we were working with were mostly concerned with the more immediate challenge of very accurate reproduction of classic paintings.
The CFPR complemented this with its deep understanding of the creative process itself and the subtle but important interaction and visual feel of inks on paper, or what Steve refers to as the tactility of a final print.
He added that such work includes practical and theoretical studies of high quality 19th Century printing processes, such as Woodburytype, Collotype, photo ceramic relief casting and photogravure.
The National Gallery, HP, CFPR and other centres of excellence devised and ran a masterclass in digital image reproduction and creative printing for a select group of European institutions keen to learn the techniques possible with the latest digital cameras, computer processing and printing equipment.
This project not only created a partnership but also a real change in direction for HP as it developed versions of large-format inkjet printers for the creative print market, added the company.
Since this initial contact CFPR has undertaken a range of projects with HP, including research concerned with product development and colour.
Wayne Davies from HP Labs Strategy and Innovation Office, explained: 'We will focus on growing commercial and industrial printing business, including print finishing and packaging.
At the same time research will continue on a number of speculative strands including 3D printing.
The CFPR have shown considerable foresight in investing in these areas and we will continue collaboration.
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