Experts´ voice

As of the beginning of July, our Paper and Board team has a new Vice President – Gerald Steiner. He joined the ANDRITZ Group one year ago and was in charge of the development and implementation of automation and digitalization in paper mills worldwide.

Franz Harrer is the director of the ANDRITZ Steel Yankee and Technology Tissue team. He joined ANDRITZ about 13 years ago as a design engineer for tissue and paper machines providing a product development focus early on.

Harri Makkonen took over as Arauco MAPA Project Director for ANDRITZ on October 1, 2018. In July 2019, Makkonen moved to Concepción, Chile, together with his family after accepting the demanding challenge of being ANDRITZ Project Director for Arauco’s huge MAPA project. Makkonen’s family includes his wife Susanna and his 18-year-old daughter Matilda. Both support him in every way they can, and Makkonen is delighted to have his family with him in Chile.

The downturn in global manufacturing activity during the last year has created a difficult demand environment for many packaging grades. However, this is expected to be relatively short lived, since there are several factors that suggest better times are ahead, once the uncertainty on the manufacturing front eases. Global demand for packaging paper and board should grow 2.4% annually during the next five years, even if conditions remain challenging in 2020.

Digitalization is progressing in leaps and bounds: The main reasons for this are technical progress, constant further development of the internet, mobile applications and technologies based on artificial intelligence, and increasing globalization. Technology trends emerging as a result of digitalization, such as IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), data analytics by means of Big Data, and AR (Augmented Reality), not only have a considerable impact on society and the working environment, but also on business operations in industry.

Workplace: Metsä Group’s Äänekoski bioproduct mill, Finland; Position: Vice President of the bioproduct mill Metsä Group gave permission to the SPECTRUM editorial team in early October 2018 to share a DAY IN THE LIFE of Ilkka Poikolainen, Vice President of the bioproduct mill in Äänekoski.

“The good times are returning” according to Oliver Lansdell, Director, Hawkins Wright, provider of market intelligence and analytical services to the international pulp, paper, and biomass industries. And it seems the pulp industry, in particular, is enjoying something of a renaissance. There are various reasons for this optimism, including increasing demand for virgin fiber content in tissue and hygiene products, the exciting growth of renewable packaging, and strong demand in niche applications such as wood-based textile fibers and other new markets in the bioeconomy.

Is the industry ready to replace fossil-fuel-based products?

RISE gave permission to the SPECTRUM editorial team to share a DAY IN THE LIFE of Fredrik Rosén in February 2018.

Megatrends are big, long-term changes that have a clear direction.

According to Rod Young, RISI’s Chief Economic Advisor, the turnaround of dissolving pulp supply and demand over the last decade has been nothing short of amazing

After starting out in the fiberglass industry in 1984, George Reynolds joined ANDRITZ North America in 2005 as an Account Manager specifically focusing on stock preparation and recycled fiber mill customers on the West Coast.

Getting to the heart of industry matters

Berry Wiersum is Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Europe. Wiersum, CEO since 2007, had some exciting insights to share.

Interview with Júlio César Rodrigues da Cunha, Fibria’s Director of Engineering and Projects, and Joel Starepravo, ANDRITZ Project Director