Despite the uncertain and unstable economic and political climate, the Atip/Copacel Paper Days, held in Paris on November 27 and 28, mobilized the paper industry and were another resounding success. The event alternated between technical conferences organized by Atip, showcasing the latest innovations from Pagora and from many suppliers (Megger, Lantier, Acoem, AFT, SKF, BTG, Voith, Storio, Greenyellow, and Watlow), the Copacel Conference, the Exhibition and many networking opportunities. The evening event took place at “La Coupole”, the renowned Parisian Art Deco brasserie in Montparnasse. With a particularly popular “Casino” event that allowed participants to chat and try their luck at the green felt in a very friendly atmosphere. This event concluded with a memorable auction where many participants left with more or less surprising gifts… Laughter guaranteed.
During this evening, the Atip Innovation Awards were also presented. The Gold Palm was awarded to the Centre technique du Papier (CTP, picture) for its fiber refining technology by compression, the first industrial-scale trial of which, with Clextral, is scheduled for June 2026. The Silver Palm was awarded to Storio for its battery-based energy storage solution. Finally, Acoem received the Bronze Palm for combining its MV-x vibration monitoring system with its Accurex AI platform, notably implemented at Blue Paper, Kimberly-Clark (Toul plant), and Clairefontaine.
Furthermore, the conference organized by Copacel provided an opportunity to reflect on the implementation of AI in industry. Three experts shared their insights: Marie-Aude Aufaure-Portier (Datarvest), Vincent Charlet (La Fabrique de l’Industrie), and Fabien Mangeant (Air Liquide). Christian Ribeyrolle, president of Copacel, concluded the discussions by emphasizing that while AI represents an opportunity for the paper industry, this technology is already very widespread due to the sector’s high level of automation. However, its deployment will be hampered as long as businesses are caught between massive regulatory investments, increasing administrative complexity, and a tax burden that is among the highest in Europe. The report of these conferences will be published in issue 400 of “La Papeterie Mag” (December 2025-January 2026). Don’t miss it!
Valérie Lechiffre
Photo /Valérie Lechiffre
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