COMPETENCE IN PAPER

Newsletter

April 2026

From the board

New bylaws

As the new board of the ZELLCHEMING association, one of our first tasks was to revise our bylaws. These bylaws form the practical foundation of our collaborative work and should therefore be as up to date and accessible as possible.

The bylaws comprise the following chapters:

1. Bylaws of the Main Committee
2. Bylaws of the Technical Committees
3. Bylaws of the Regional Groups
4. Responsibilities of the Main Committee Chair
5. Areas of Responsibility of the Technical Committees
6. Guidelines for Technical Bulletins
7. Disclaimer

The revised document is the result of a comprehensive consultation process led by our Main Committee Chair, Dr. Martin Zahel. The updated bylaws will be published in our member database, where they can be viewed at any time.

Participants of the ZELLCHEMING Advisory Board Meeting

Important decisions regarding the association, the GmbH, and the Expo were made at the Executive Board meeting in early April. Key projects were advanced as follows: 

• Collaboration with DIN-Verlag will begin in June
• The regional groups are developing positively
• Membership growth remains challenging, though the total number is stabilizing
• The association’s financial foundation is also stable
• Recruiting new members remains a priority, particularly through Women4Paper and outreach to new academic departments
• Existing partnerships with EuCePa, DPI, PTS, and international partners will be further expanded.

The agenda and planned honors were approved in preparation for the general meeting on June 17, 2026. Invitations to the meeting will be mailed shortly. That evening, the association will host a social gathering with the theme: "Connect, Swing & Celebrate!"

Dr.-Ing. Frank P. Meltzer          Dr.-Ing. Tiemo Arndt
Chairman                                    Deputy Chairman

Series short interviews

Over the past few months, we have used our newsletters to introduce the members of our new executive board one by one. Today, you’ll learn more about Rosario Othen. He is a research assistant at the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University and has served on our advisory board since 2023.

After completing an apprenticeship as a paper technologist at Mitsubishi HiTec Paper in Bielefeld, Germany, and attending the vocational college in Gernsbach, Germany, Othen pursued a dual degree in mechanical engineering and paper science at TU Darmstadt. He is currently working on his doctoral thesis, “Digitalization in the Paper Industry: Development of a Digital Twin for Energy and Emissions Balancing/Optimization in the Manufacturing Process” and serves as an adjunct lecturer in IT at DHBW Karlsruhe.

Rosario Othen

What motivated you to become more involved with the association?
Rosario Othen: During my time as a student, I had the opportunity to attend numerous expos. There, I met wonderful people and received many offers for thesis projects and internships. I attended the IMPC 2018 International Mechanical Pulping Conference in Trondheim and participated in meetings of the TEST Technical Committee. At the time, the committee was addressing the question, "What do we do with all this online data?" I want to give others the chance to have the wonderful experiences I had and access the opportunities that wouldn't have arisen without ZELLCHEMING.

What key areas would you like to focus on in your role?
As the chair of the DATA Technical Committee, I aim to promote digitalization in our industry. As a member of the Advisory Board, I want to attract the attention of young people to our organization, show them what ZELLCHEMING has to offer, and, ideally, recruit them. I also want to play an active role in shaping the association to ensure its long-term success.

What, in your opinion, sets the ZELLCHEMING association apart?
It is a very close-knit, collaborative atmosphere where everyone is treated as an equal. It is a network that connects producers and suppliers, young professionals and experts, as well as industry and academia. Added to this is the open and personal exchange during the expo combined with the in-depth technical discussions during technical committee meetings.

What factors do you think are important for the association’s further development? Interdisciplinarity and internationality, in terms of fields of study, age groups, and levels of experience, as well as the integration of technology, science, and industry. ZELLCHEMING should be recognized as an internationally respected association whose technical committees serve as a voice for the industry and are valued as expert bodies. At the same time, we must strengthen the connection between industry and science, establish the association as the technical voice of the paper and pulp industry, and inspire young people with our topics to bring them into our community!

Women4Paper spring meeting

The Women4Paper Spring Meeting, which will take place on April 20, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., will focus on the topic:

Inside Careers: A Look Behind the Scenes: Self-Positioning, Visibility, Career Obstacles, and the Hidden Job Market.

Careers rarely follow a straight path, especially for women. This makes it all the more important to understand the job market's mechanisms and consciously shape your position. This online workshop (in German language), led by Elke Kormann-Tix, senior talent acquisition manager at BGH Consulting, offers open, practical insights into recruiting decisions, HR consulting, and the hidden job market. The focus is on clear self-positioning, strategic visibility, and common career obstacles women face in their professional lives. The workshop encourages participants to showcase their expertise, recognize opportunities early on, and take an active role in shaping their next career step with informed decision-making—in the spirit of Women4Paper: connected, empowered, and on equal footing.

All ZELLCHEMING members, as well as the broader network, are invited to participate. Please feel free to share the link to participate.

Please register by using this link: Workshop Women4Paper 20.04.2026 (16:00 - 17:00)

Elke Korman-Tix, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, BGH-Consulting

From the association

We are delighted to welcome new members again this month!

We welcome to the ZELLCHEMING association:

• Jörg Bousart, Actemium Controlmatic West GmbH
• Dr. Andreas Geißler, PTS – Institut für Fasern & Papier gGmbH
• Marie Geißler, PTS – Institut für Fasern & Papier gGmbH
• Christian Makari, GAW technologies GmbH
• Fabiana Martins, CHT Germany GmbH
• Sigrid Tertinegg, GAW technologies GmbH

Dates

• 20 April 2026
  Meeting Technical Committee Coating of Paper and Board (COAT)
• 22 April 2026
  Meeting Technical Committee Finishing of Paper and Paperboard (FPPB)
• 23 April 2026
  Meeting Technical Committee Plant Engineering and Energy (ENEN)
• 20 May 2026
  Meeting Technical Committee Paperboard Technology (PBTC)
  Meeting Technical Committee Environmental Issues (ENVI)
• 16-18 June 2026
  ZELLCHEMING-Expo
• 8-9 September 2026
  Symposium: “Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers for the Paper and Pulp Industry”
• 17 September 2026
  Meeting Technical Committee Chemical Additives (CHAD)

Good reasons to join ZELLCHEMING

Dr. Tobias Wolfinger, Managing Director | CEO, Technikum Laubholz GmbH

What role does the paper, pulp, and fiber-based industry play for you or your company?
The Technikum Laubholz develops sustainable technologies for the industrial transition to a bioeconomy. A key focus is on the chemical processing of wood to produce pulp and lignin, as well as their use, for example, in MFC or in spinning processes, in close collaboration with partners from the paper and pulp industry. 

Dr. Tobias Wolfinger, Geschäftsführer | CEO, Technikum Laubholz GmbH

What motivated you to become a ZELLCHEMING member?
The positive experiences and constructive discussions at EXPO 2025, as well as the opportunity to further expand my network and actively help shape the future of the industry.

How would you like to contribute to ZELLCHEMING, and how are you currently contributing?
Through active dialogue, collaboration with members, and participation in expert committees, when applicable.

From the technical committees

Meeting technical committee Paper Making (PMAK)

The spring meeting of the Technical Committee Paper Making was held at Model in Eilenburg. The technical discussions focused on specific applications of digitalization in paper production and examined the available market solutions. While the participants had a clear vision of an "autonomous factory," they acknowledged that the path toward it is bumpy, largely due to the need for standardization regarding terminology. Nevertheless, the discussions and technical work identified specific areas of focus with concrete solutions.

Thank you to Uwe Weiß and the Model Eilenburg paper mill for making this meeting possible!

Participants of the TC PMAK meeting at Model AG in Eilenburg

From the office

ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2026

Preparations for ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2026 are in full swing. Exhibitor acquisition, communication campaigns, and visitor marketing are well underway. Current booking figures point to a promising outlook for the trade show.

From June 16 to 18, 2026, Wiesbaden will once again be the central meeting place for the paper, pulp, and fiber industries. The North Exhibition Hall at the RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) is also expected to be fully booked this year. "We expect around 120 exhibitors and 3,000 visitors," says Petra Hanke, managing director of ZELLCHEMING Service GmbH. "The association will actively support its members again this year, and they will receive free access to the event via an individual code."

Meeting Exhibitor Advisory Board

On April 13, the Exhibitor Advisory Board met to discuss the following topics:

• Exhibitor acquisition
• Program
• Events, including:
  Get-together (exhibitor party) on the first evening
  ZELLCHEMING social evening on the second evening
• Focus on Career Day
• Visitor marketing

From the network

Save the Date: New date for the symposium “Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers for the Paper and Pulp Industry”

From September 8 to 9, 2026, the German Paper Industry Association (DIE PAPIERINDUSTRIE), in collaboration with the ZELLCHEMING Association and the Friends of the Gernsbach Paper Center (FÖP), will host a two-day symposium titled "Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers for the Paper and Pulp Industry" at the Gernsbach Paper Center. The symposium will present the results of the World Café on the topic "Actively Recruiting and Retaining Young Talent," which was held during the Career Day at the ZELLCHEMING Expo 2025 on July 3, 2025. We are confident that these results will generate new ideas for further developing our Career Day and potential collaborations.

Further information will follow.

Article about ZELLCHEMING-Expo in "Papier kann mehr"

The latest issue of "Papier kann mehr", the magazine of the German paper industry, features our Expo 2026.

With a circulation of 50,000, the magazine targets industry and related sector employees, as well as external business, political, and media stakeholders interested in paper and the paper industry.

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