300 international customers and 50 high-level speakers gathered in Heidenheim at the global Voith Paper Customer Event 2024

Global Voith Paper Customer Event 2024 inspiring papermaking insights 

Around 300 international customers and 50 high-level speakers gathered in Heidenheim at the global Voith Paper Customer Event 2024 for a unique three-day experience and inspiring papermaking insights 

  • On October 14-16, 2024, under the motto “Source of Success”, the Voith Paper Customer Event 2024 brought together Voith experts, partners, industry leaders and valued customers from around the world to focus on the future of papermaking
  • Leading papermakers shared and exchanged strategies and best practices on stage, in expert talks and during panel discussions
  • Key highlights included the behind-the-scenes Innovation Tour of the Voith Paper R&D Hubs, as well as an interactive exhibition showcasing innovations from Toscotec, BTG, Meri and Yangi 

The Voith Paper Customer Event 2024, under the motto “Source of Success”, is one to remember. Among the standout moments of this year’s three-day event from October 14-16, was seeing valued customers from around the world take the stage to share their successful strategies, best practices and key partnerships in papermaking. Their personal contributions brought real-world insights that resonated with the audience. Notably, every region was represented on stage. 

The unique format of the event was designed to be flexible, interactive and highly relevant. It was an opportunity to showcase the close partnerships that are crucial to driving the industry forward in terms of sustainability, efficiency and competitiveness. For this reason, Voith’s customers were the focus of attention. 

Three focus areas: Innovation, Digitalization, Sustainability

The plenary sessions on the three focus topics “Innovation”, “Sustainability” and “Digitalization” took place on the main stage. Each session showcased a case study or project that was presented by a customer together with a Voith expert.

In “Source of Innovation”, the focus was on the latest innovation highlights and the power of partnerships to push boundaries in papermaking, drive efficiency and achieve record-breaking milestones. The sessions were led by Matthew Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations at Green Bay Packaging, Armin Vetter, Managing Director at Schoellershammer, Luiz Francisco Almeida, Engineering and Maintenance Planning Manager at Klabin, and Ying Guangdong, Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer at Sun Paper. 

Panel discussion on the decarbonization of paper production (from left to right): Kimsy von Reischach (Moderation), Dr. Stefan Karrer (COO, Koehler Group), Stephan Gruber (CTO, Papierfabrik Palm), Donato Giorgio (President Global Supply Chain, Essity), Dr. Michael Weiss (CTO, Voith Paper)
Panel discussion on the decarbonization of paper production from left to right Kimsy von Reischach Moderation Dr Stefan Karrer COO Koehler Group Stephan Gruber CTO Papierfabrik Palm Donato Giorgio President Global Supply Chain Essity Dr Michael Weiss CTO Voith Paper

In “Source of Sustainability”, the spotlight turned to future-oriented, long-term partnerships that have committed to decarbonizing papermaking. Thought-provoking sessions were led by Dr. Stefan Karrer, COO at Koehler Group, and Dr. Thomas Pfitzner, Project Director Innovation Projects at Stora Enso. Elena Viviani, Technology Area Director Papermaking and Disruptive Innovation at Essity, spoke about the company’s joint mission with Voith to disrupt the status quo with dry, carbon-neutral papermaking.

Finally, in “Source of Digitalization”, the focus was on ground-breaking digital solutions and the future of mill operations. Dr. Thomas Welt, CEO at Laakirchen Papier AG, Fernando Carroquino, Industrial Director at SAICA Paper, and Lars Mallasch, Group Technical & Sustainability Director at Mondi, shared real-world experiences, practical solutions and personal predictions.

Panel discussions with industry leaders 

In total, there were three panel discussions during the event, which provided a platform for leading papermakers to openly explore the key trends and challenges in papermaking today. The first focused on the crucial next steps along the road to decarbonizing papermaking, while the second critically assessed the potential of autonomous operations. Finally, the CEO Panel saw industry leaders debate economic developments and the future of papermaking.

CEO Panel from left to right: Andreas Endters (President & CEO Voith Paper), N. Sinem Öksüz Dedebayraktar (Board Member & CEO Paper and Packaging Division, KIPAS), Austin Davey (President Paper Division, Pratt Industries), Ying Guangdong (Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer, Sun Paper), Francisco Razzolini (CTO, Klabin) Visit to
CEO Panel from left to right Andreas Endters President CEO Voith Paper N Sinem Öksüz Dedebayraktar Board Member CEO Paper and Packaging Division KIPAS Austin Davey President Paper Division Pratt Industries Ying Guangdong Vice General Manager and Chief Engineer Sun Paper Francisco Razzolini CTO Klabin

A diverse program tailored to customer interests

Participants used a dedicated event app to tailor the diverse program to suit their specific interests and goals. 12 Expert Talk sessions offered deep dives into the technologies of paper production – from quality control to modern cyber-security, innovations along the paper machine and performance-boosting remote support through OnPerformance.Lab. 

On tour and up close with papermaking experts and customers

Visit to the pilot coater during the Innovation Tour
Visit to the pilot coater during the Innovation Tour

One highly anticipated slot was the behind-the-scenes tour of the Voith Paper Innovation Hub. This was an opportunity for customers to see Voith R&D activities up close and attend presentations on the latest Voith innovations. The experts involved in the product development and real-world implementation were available to answer questions. Throughout the three-day event, an interactive exhibition showcasing digital innovations and booths from Toscotec, BTG, Meri and Yangi were a constant hive of activity and interest. Further networking opportunities were provided during breaks and lunches, and, most entertainingly, at the gala dinner and show. 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 21,000 employees, sales of € 4.9 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from a single source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

Contact: Anna Dennerlein – Vice President Global Communication Voith Paper – Tel. +49 7321 37 9055
Anna.Dennerlein@voith.com
–  www.voith.com

To feature your company on Paper Technology International News please visit our website https://papertechnologyinternational.com or email your press release to info@papertechnologyinternational.com