Mastering massive transformation processes with innovations and appropriate funding

At this year's PTS Network Day 2022, key players from the European and German paper industry as well as from research and politics came to Dresden to address the challenges facing the industry and to identify and discuss ways of innovation that can be used to successfully implement the transformation of the paper industry.

PTS: New challenges facing the industry
© Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS). PTS Network Day 2022, Opening Speech
09.06.2022
Source:  Company news

The PTS networking day is a platform that the players and decision-makers in the paper industry used again this year with a large number of participants to discuss important issues and challenges facing the industry.

Starting with the welcome address by Mr. Thomas Kralinski (State Secretary in the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport), who emphasised the central importance of the paper industry for many areas of life, three key note speeches followed from German, European and political perspectives on the paper industry and its challenges as an energy-intensive industry.

The President of DIE PAPIERINDUSTRIE, Winfried Schaur, who was connected online, emphasised in his presentation that the paper industry is facing enormous transformation processes. "The necessary decarbonisation represents a turning point for the industry," said Schaur. As a sector, the paper industry has relatively good technical prerequisites, since it hardly emits any process-related CO2 emissions and the necessary technologies are largely available. "In order to implement this, however, we need the support of politics, for example through climate protection agreements. The energy-intensive industries also need transitional aid in this process." As further challenges, the President mentioned the shortage of skilled workers and the renationalisation of value chains against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical risks. "To achieve this, we need closer cooperation with our customers," said Schaur, adding that "only together can we develop resilient value chains that are close to the region.

Jori Ringman, Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), highlighted the opportunities for the paper industry in the future as a platform to create value for new bio-based businesses. In addition, perspectives arise from the circular economy, untapped climate-relevant potential and in cooperation with start-up companies.

Dr. Bernd Wenzel from the Competence Centre for Climate Protection in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) spoke about the funding opportunities for energy-intensive industries and addressed the paper industry in particular as well as the decarbonisation orientation at the federal level.

Building on the impetus provided, Dr.-Ing. Ing. Tiemo Arndt (Head of Research & Transfer) moderated a broad panel discussion alongside the keynote speakers with participants from industry, such as Matthias Höhsl (FPT Board of Directors & Voith) and Peter Bekaert (Managing Director of Modellfabrik GmbH), from politics represented by Dr. Peter Lucas (Department of Technology Promotion, Saxon State Ministry of Economics, Labour and Transport) and from research, represented by Prof. Dr. Michael Beckmann (Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, TU Dresden) and Dr. Thorsten Voß (Director of PTS). Energy policy, innovation, research and the shortage of skilled workers were highlighted as challenges for the transformation of the paper industry.

The Start Up Session formed the conclusion of the network day, which was opened with the presentation of the AiF Innova-torsNet by Jan-Frederik Kremer (Managing Director, AiF Forschung - Technik - Kommunikation GmbH) and underlined Start Ups as an important path for innovations. Afterwards, the start-up companies Foxbase GmbH, HCP Sense GmbH, mecorad GmbH and Trilitec GmbH presented their innovative solutions and the network participants decided on the best idea via an audience vote. The winning idea from HCP Sense convinced the audience the most and received a PTS service voucher worth € 10,000 for further development, a lifetime membership for the company in the AiF InnovatorsNet (worth € 849 / year) as well as a company presentation in the DPI association magazine "Papier kann mehr." with a circulation of 40,000 copies. The other start-up companies also receive AiF InnovatorsNet access and a presentation in the magazine.

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