UPM and ANDRITZ form multi‑year tissue innovation partnership

Scope of cooperation

UPM Pulp and ANDRITZ signed a strategic, multi‑year cooperation agreement to enable tissue manufacturers to develop and optimize next‑generation tissue products and processes. The partnership combines ANDRITZ's process and equipment engineering with UPM's pulp and fibre expertise to drive innovation across the value chain, from raw materials to production processes.

Pilot facility and trials

Customers receive dedicated access to ANDRITZ's PrimeLineTIAC Tissue Innovation and Application Center in Graz for pilot‑scale development. UPM hardwood pulp, UPM Euca, will serve as the standard pulp across all customer and internal trials. Tissue producers can participate directly in joint trials, working with both UPM's technical team and ANDRITZ's process experts to develop and optimise products and processes.

Objectives and benefits

The collaboration aims to accelerate commercialization of innovative products, improve product performance and production efficiency, and de‑risk the introduction of new raw materials or process concepts by enabling trials in a pilot environment rather than on live production machines.

Leadership views

Tomas Wiklund, Senior Vice President, Pulp Sales, UPM Fibres, said combining fibre expertise and ANDRITZ’s process knowledge in a shared development environment gives customers access to unique technical capabilities and world‑class facilities. Franz Harrer, Director Global R&D and Pilot Operations, Paper & Tissue, ANDRITZ, highlighted that the tissue pilot plant supports continuous process innovation and de‑risking of investments, helping manufacturers innovate more efficiently and faster.