The Spanish Association of Pulp, Paper, and Cardboard Manufacturers (ASPAPEL) recently held a new edition of the Paper Industry Forum, the annual gathering that brings together sector companies, representatives of its value chain, public authorities, and experts to analyze the topics shaping the agenda of this strategic industry. This year’s edition took place in an especially complex international context, marked by geopolitical uncertainty and its impact on the European industry, driven mainly by the Middle East crisis and U.S. tariff policy.
In this scenario, the sector underscored the need for industrial policies that reinforce competitiveness, foster investment, and support the decarbonization process that companies are facing. During the forum, participants warned of the need to strengthen the framework of support for European industry to avoid offshoring risks and preserve productive capacity in strategic sectors.
During the opening of the forum, Jordi Aguiló, president of ASPAPEL, stressed that “the geopolitical crisis is affecting three key areas for our sector: exports, energy costs, and uncertainty about demand trends. In this context, it is essential to adopt effective support measures, implemented with agility and in coordination with Europe and the rest of the Member States to reinforce the industry’s competitiveness.”
Under the banner “The bioeconomy starts here”, the forum also focused on the strategic role of the paper sector in the bioeconomy, a production model based on renewable resources and circularity, set to play a key role in Europe’s future.
In this regard, Aguiló highlighted that “the development of the bioeconomy is a key lever to reinforce European strategic autonomy and reduce external dependencies.” However, he reminded that this process requires a regulatory framework and policies that facilitate investment and accompany companies’ efforts in innovation, efficiency, and decarbonization.
Current and Future of the Paper Industry
Throughout the day, opened by Núria Aymerich, Special Commissioner for Industrial Competitiveness and SMEs at the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the context in which Spanish paper companies operate was analyzed, 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 context is really difficult at the moment due to the uncertainty but if we want a welfare society, it will be through a strong industry, because there is no competitiveness without industry. Therefore, public policies must provide an efficient regulatory environment and not create unnecessary complexity to be able to promote it.”
For his part, Javier Pérez, Deputy Director General for Economic Policy at the Bank of Spain, delivered the talk titled “Outlook for the Spanish economy in an uncertain global environment,” in which he analyzed recent economic developments and the main factors shaping the economic context in which companies operate.
Next, the impact of Brussels legislation was addressed in the conference “European industrial policy: key developments for the paper sector”, by Paula Ceballos, policy analyst for the European Commission representation in Spain.
Iris Ollila, managing director of Vision Hunters, delivered the talk “The future landscape of the paper industry: from adaptation to progress,” in which she shared her view on trends that will shape the sector’s development in the coming years and the keys to its transformation.
Finally, Eduardo de Almeida and Javier Revuelta, both senior principals at AFRY Management Consulting, offered the talk “Paper mills and energy flexibility: technology, market and trends,” where they addressed the opportunities that energy flexibility offers to improve the efficiency of industrial plants.
The Paper Sector, Engine of Development and Jobs
The paper industry in our country 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 wide value chain spanning from forest management to recycling.
Specifically, the sector generates 17,500 direct jobs and 87,400 indirect jobs, many of them linked to rural and semi-urban areas, making it a driver of economic development and territorial cohesion.
It also stands out for its advances in sustainability and decarbonization: since 2020, Spanish paper companies have reduced their CO₂ emissions by 29%, consolidating a path of continuous improvement based on energy efficiency and the optimization of production processes through innovation.
