Beyond the Conference: Five Insights from China's Fastest-Growing Paper Region
Paper Chemicals Innovation & Development Conference in Guanxi 29.-30.6.2026
Beyond the Conference – Insights from China's Emerging Paper Innovation Hub
Last week, we had the opportunity to spend several days in Guangxi Province, China—one of the fastest-growing paper and board manufacturing regions in the world.
Our journey included participation in the Paper Chemicals Innovation & Development Conference, where our CEO, Vesa Kukkamo, presented how quality control enables more cost-efficient water-based barrier coated packaging. The conference brought together researchers, paper mills and chemical suppliers to discuss the future of sustainable paper production.
However, perhaps even more valuable than the conference itself were the discussions that followed.
During the week we visited paper mills, met industry leaders and spent time with researchers at Guangxi University.
Presentation “Quality control as the enabler of cost and performance – optimized water-based barriercoated (WBBC) paper” was given by Dr. Chun Yue Lai and CEO Vesa Kukkamo in Paper Chemicals Innovation & Development Conference.
Below Five Observations from China's Fastest Growing Paper Industry Region
1. China is investing in the future of packaging
The focus is no longer on commodity paper.
The industry's investments are centred around
barrier packaging
food packaging
fibre-based alternatives to plastics
production efficiency
sustainable materials.
Quality requirements continue to increase while production costs must decrease.
That combination creates new demands for process measurement and process understanding.
2. Quality is becoming a competitive advantage
Many discussions focused on one common question:
How can paper mills produce higher-value packaging products without increasing production costs?
The answer is increasingly found in
better process control
improved coating chemistry
advanced measurement
data-driven production.
Measurement is no longer only about quality assurance.
It is becoming an essential part of process optimization.
Water-based barrier coatings enable sustainable paper packaging without compromising performance.
3. Industry wants closer collaboration with universities
One of the most encouraging discussions took place at Guangxi University.
Together we explored how university research could be connected much more directly with industrial challenges.
Too often,
universities develop excellent research...
while mills struggle with practical problems...
without the two meeting often enough.
There is a significant opportunity to shorten the path from laboratory research to industrial implementation.
4. Innovation requires ecosystems
No single company or university can solve every challenge.
Future innovation will increasingly require collaboration between
industry
universities
technology providers.
This inspired us to begin discussing an international collaboration model connecting European and Chinese research with industrial development projects.
The objective is simple:
Bring research closer to production.
5. The journey has only begun
The most important outcome of our visit was not a single meeting or presentation.
It was the beginning of a conversation.
Following our discussions with Guangxi University, we agreed to continue developing a concrete collaboration model that could help accelerate innovation across the paper industry by connecting industrial challenges with academic expertise.
We believe the future of paper manufacturing will be shaped by stronger collaboration between industry, universities and technology partners—and AcA Systems is excited to contribute through our expertise in measurement science, process understanding and industrial innovation.
Knowledge exchange with researchers at Guangxi University provided valuable insights into the future of sustainable paper and barrier coating technologies.
Acknowledgements and Looking Ahead
Finally, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who made this inspiring journey possible.
A special thank you to our partner BTG / Voith for organizing an excellent technical program and creating opportunities to visit some of China's most advanced paper mills.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to Guangxi University for their outstanding hospitality, openness and inspiring discussions about future collaboration between academia and industry.
And finally, thank you to all the paper industry professionals, researchers and experts who shared their knowledge, experience and vision for the future. The openness of the discussions and willingness to collaborate made this visit truly memorable.
We look forward to continuing these conversations—and turning ideas into industrial innovation.