4 INDUSTRY NEWS


Pulp Paper & Logistics


Roll up for the PulPaper exhibition and conference in Helsinki


one of the leading exhibition and conference events in the industry’s calendar, opens in Helsinki, Finland from 29-31 May. The theme this year is ‘Visit


A


tomorrow today’ and will highlight new innovations and technologies that will enable the industry to meet the demands of a digitised world, while respecting the environment. PulPaper will feature a varied seminar programme on all three days. Business Forum is a seminar for company management, focusing on themes ranging from


s the environmental credentials of forest industry become better known, PulPaper,


There is no charge for entry


consumer habits to sustainable development and from innovations to changes in management. The PulPaper Conference,


targeted at forest industry experts and researchers, will be held from 30-31 May. Experts, researchers


and company representatives from the Nordic countries, Japan, North America, and other parts of the world will speak on themes that include the circular economy, biomass use, climate change, and biorefinery development.


Visy Industries boss anticipates the ‘lights-out’ carton box plant


Australia’s largest privately-owned packaging and recycling company Visy Industries is increasingly using new technology to fuel its growth in cartonboard boxes. Chief executive Anthony Pratt


told the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Sydney Summit in April that technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a key role in helping the company achieve its goals. Pratt said that when Amazon


was planning its entry into online retail in Australia, he realised that Visy’s boxes would be an important supply chain element. “As they say, in a gold rush, sell


shovels,” Pratt said. “But just as AWS helps Visy innovate on the IT side, we try to help Amazon innovate on the packaging side.”


May/June 2018


“Beyond that we have a vision which I call the lights-out factory – a fully automated box factory that operates in the dark, because robots don’t need lights.” Visy also recently established


digital hub in Singapore, where it is incorporating IT, AI, and robotics into every aspect of packaging, paper making, and recycling. Pratt said his vision is to keep the


Visy’s priority list includes


custom-made, fit-for-purpose boxes that can be used to keep food fresh, or packaging that allows for traceability. “We’re not far away from seeing


packaging that can even monitor its contents in the consumer’s home and automatically trigger a re-order, or it might provide proof-


of-origin for supply chain integrity,” Pratt explained. Although in a different field from Amazon, technology, robotics, and AI are becoming central to Visy’s business. “We’ll soon have one of the only


fully-automated corrugated factory warehouses employing driverless robotics,” he continued.


corrugated box as relevant and useful to Amazon as it has been to the rest of the world since it has existed. “Because we know to remain


relevant and competitive to Amazon, we need to be at the forefront of manufacturing technology, IT, AI, customer service, and product innovation,” he concluded.


to the PulPaper exhibition and conference, but registration is required at www.pulpaper.fi. In addition, delegates can sign up for two excursions to visit pioneering companies in the field: to Metsä Group’s new Äänekoski bioproduct mill and to Kotkamills’ board mill on 31 May and 1 June. PulPaper, PacTec and Wood & Bioenergy will be held at Messukeskus in Helsinki on 29-31 May. The event was last held in 2014, when it attracted visitors from 70 countries. About 400 companies will participate in the exhibition and around 10,000 visitors are expected.


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