Södra has reached an agreement with Robert Jan de Waard and Ronald Rijswijk to acquire all shares in the Dutch company Smartt Timber B.V. Södra previously held partial ownership in Smartt, which has served as a successful sales channel for Södra Wood in the Netherlands and Belgium for many years. The Netherlands is a strategically important market for Södra, where the company has maintained a strong position for a long time. By the acquisition, Södra shows its long-term commitment to the market and elevates its business to the next level, enhancing the customer offer even further.
International technology group Andritz has received an order from the Chinese nonwovens company Alear Silk Road New Materials Co., Ltd. to deliver three complete neXline aXcess spunlace crosslapped lines for the production of nonwovens. This investment represents an important step in the company’s expansion and the development of the nonwovens industry in the Alear area of Xinjiang province.
VTT Technical research centre of Finland and LUT University have completed a three-year research project on carbon capture and utilisation. The project investigated different technologies for producing renewable plastic raw materials from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. Renewable energy, hydrogen economy and forest industry’s biogenic carbon dioxide emissions present significant opportunities for new sustainable industries.
Andritz is launching a comprehensive research and development program called BioCircleToZero, which aims to double the value derived from wood without harvesting more trees. Business Finland, the government’s agency for trade and investment promotion, has granted Andritz 10 million euros in funding for the BioCircleToZero program. An additional 20 million euros will be provided by Business Finland to partners contributing to the program.
Valmet has received an order for a complete Valmet IQ Quality Management System package from one of North America’s largest pressure-sensitive laminate producers. It will be delivered to the customer’s Midwest facility and include Valmet IQ Moisturizers for moisture and curl control, Valmet IQ Silicone measurement, Valmet IQ Reflective Spectrometer measurement for adhesive, two Valmet IQ Single Sided Scanner S units, and closed-loop moisture MD/CD control and MD Silicone control. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received for the first quarter of 2025. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The delivery is scheduled for August 2025.
Lecta has achieved DIN CERTCO industrial compostability certification for its EraCup Natural paperboard, an innovative product for food service applications. Why is this certification important? It ensures that compostability claims are scientifically validated and that items are accepted in industrial composting facilities, unlike “biodegradable” products that may not fully degrade.
A coalition of industry associations, including Cepi, EMMA, ENPA, EPC, FEP, Intergraf, and News Media Europe, has released a joint statement to address misconceptions surrounding the role of geolocation data in compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This statement aims to support printing companies in their EUDR discussions with customers, clarifying that geolocation data are not required in EU value chains for compliance.
The Voith Group has set for itself scientifically based climate targets. Accordingly, the company is committed to reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its own sites (Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions) by 50.4% by fiscal year 2031/32 compared to the baseline year 2021/22. In addition, Voith aims to reduce GHG emissions from the use of its products (Scope 3) by 30% over the same period.