La Spanish Association of Pulp, Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers (ASPAPEL) has celebrated a new edition of Paper Industry MeetingThis annual event brings together companies in the sector, representatives from its value chain, public administrations, and experts to analyze the issues shaping the agenda of this strategic industry. This year's edition was held in a particularly complex international context, marked by geopolitical uncertainty and its impact on European industry, stemming primarily from the crisis in the Middle East and the United States' tariff policy.
In this context, the sector has emphasized the need for industrial policies that strengthen competitiveness, encourage investment, and support the decarbonization process that companies are undergoing. During the meeting, participants stressed the need to reinforce the framework for supporting European industry to prevent the risk of offshoring and preserve production capacity in strategic sectors.
During the opening of the meeting, Jordi Aguiló, president of ASPAPELHe emphasized that “the geopolitical crisis is affecting three key areas for our sector: exports, energy costs, and uncertainty about the evolution of demand. In this context, it is essential to adopt effective support measures, implemented swiftly and in coordination with Europe and the other Member States, to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry.”
Under the slogan "The bioeconomy starts here", the meeting also focused on the strategic role of the paper sector in the bioeconomy, a production model based on the use of renewable resources and circularity, destined to play a key role in the future of Europe.
In this regard, Aguiló emphasized that “the development of the bioeconomy is a key lever for strengthening European strategic autonomy and reducing external dependencies.” However, he noted that this process requires a regulatory framework and policies that facilitate investment and support companies' efforts in innovation, efficiency, and decarbonization.
Present and future of the paper industry
Throughout the day, inaugurated by Núria Aymerich, Special Commissioner for Industrial Competitiveness and SMEs of the Ministry of Industry and TourismThe analysis focused on the current operating context of paper companies in Spain, marked by the evolution of international markets, the transformation of the energy model, and the development of new industrial strategies in Europe. Specifically, Aymerich stated that “the current context is truly challenging due to the uncertainty, but if we want a welfare society, it will depend on a strong industry, as there is no competitiveness without it. Therefore, public policies must provide an efficient regulatory environment that avoids unnecessary complexity in order to foster industrial growth.”
For its part, Javier Pérez, Deputy Director General of Economics at the Bank of Spain, has given a presentation entitled “Prospects for the Spanish economy in an uncertain global environment”, in which he has analyzed the recent evolution of the economy and the main factors that are conditioning the economic context in which companies operate.
Next, the impact of legislation coming from Brussels was addressed at the conference. “European industrial policy: key developments for the paper sector”, By Paula Ceballos, political analyst at the European Commission representation in Spain.
Iris Ollila, managing director of Vision Hunters, has offered the presentation “The future outlook for the paper industry: from adaptation to progress”, in which he shared his vision on the trends that will shape the development of the sector in the coming years and the keys to its transformation.
Lastly, Eduardo de Almeida and Javier Revuelta, both principal senior at AFRY Management Consulting, They have offered the conference “Paper mills and energy flexibility: technology, market and trends”where they have addressed the opportunities that energy flexibility offers to improve the efficiency of industrial plants.
Spain's paper industry plays a strategic role in the European economy. Spain is the fifth largest producer of pulp and the sixth largest producer of paper and cardboard in the European Union, with a broad value chain that encompasses everything from forest management to recycling.
Specifically, the sector generates 17.500 direct and 87.400 indirect jobs in our country, many of them linked to rural and semi-urban environments, making it an engine of economic development and territorial cohesion.
For the celebration of this event, ASPAPEL has had the support of leading companies such as ABB, BELLMER, EDISON NEXT, ENGIE, INTER INGENIERÍA, NALCO WATER, SPAPER (FERIA DE ZARAGOZA), TECNO CAUCHO, VALMET and WASTE TO ENERGY ADVANCED SOLUTIONS.
