February 2008
By Anders Thorén
Formed in 1999, The Paper Province is a cluster organization that coordinates and develops cooperation between participants in the pulp and paper technology industry in Värmland, northern Dalsland and Närke in central Sweden (PPI, March 2006).
"Our close to 70 members are active in more than 100 countries around the world. This provides good opportunities to reach all the important markets, and also to get valuable input from all over the world," explains The Paper Province's president, Mats Williams.
In a recent study of more than 2,100 European clusters, conducted on behalf of the European Commission, The Paper Province was recognized as one of Europe's 16 most innovative regions.
One example of this innovation is the launch of a new international center for energy efficiency: The Energy Square. The center – based in Karlstad and headed up by Ingrid Ivars (formerly of Stora Enso) - is the first of its kind in the world to focus on products and services for the pulp and paper industry.
"There is an enormous interest today in energy efficiency. We have already got enquires from India and China," says Ivars.
The Energy Square will be a center of commercialization. Its mission is to develop new products and services that make it easier to reduce energy consumption within the global pulp and paper industry. The center aims to act as a link between universities, research institutes and the industry, bringing together knowledge, infrastructure and funds for projects.
A steering group with international experts within the area of energy efficiency is connected to the center.
"Project initiatives will focus on needs and problems where there are no solutions today," explains Ivars. "Our task is also to facilitate commercialization of existing ideas and technologies, for example patents and research results. By gathering these in various concepts we aim to raise the availability of energy efficient products for the world's pulp and paper producers," she adds.
"The new center focuses on an extremely important issue," believes Williams. "At the same time it offers a possibility for the companies within The Paper Province to strengthen their global competitiveness and to further develop their leading-edge competence, including in the energy sector," he says.
"Our target for the coming four years is that The Energy Square will be involved in 20 international projects regarding energy efficiency, and that the center will lead 10 projects, from idea to ready-made product," notes Williams.
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