Where Are You Going, Europe – The Competitiveness of the European Paper Industry
The European paper industry is navigating a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by global market developments, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasing regulatory demands. Maintaining competitiveness in this environment requires both strategic insight and the ability to adapt.
Join us on 2 September 2026 at 2 pm CET / 3 pm EEST for an insightful webinar exploring the current operational environment and future outlook of the European paper industry. The session will begin with a comprehensive outlook on how geopolitics affects the competitiveness of European industry by Mika Aaltola, MEP (Finland). This is followed by two company case examples highlighting how organisations are building resilience through innovation and new business models presented by Minna Mentzer, Business Development Director at Metsä Group and Dr. Matthias Rauhut, CEO at DREWSEN Holding GmbH &Co.KG .
The webinar is organised in collaboration with ForestBioFacts and ZELLCHEMING.
Register latest on 1 September via the link below to secure your spot. The webinar is free of charge and open to all interested in the topic, but requires pre-registration.
Programme
The Impact of Geopolitics on European Industry
Mika Aaltola, MEP (Finland)
Biogenic CO₂ capture in Metsä Group
Minna Mentzer, Business Development Director, Metsä Group
Specialise. Decarbonise. Boost productivity. The strategic transformation of DREWSEN SPEZIALPAPIERE
Dr. Matthias Rauhut, CEO, DREWSEN Holding GmbH &Co.KG
Speakers
Mika Aaltola is a Member of the European Parliament (EPP/National Coalition Party). He sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on International Trade (INTA), as well as the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). A political scientist by background, he previously served as Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). He has broad expertise in international and European affairs, U.S. domestic and foreign policy, Finnish foreign and security policy, and global governance, specialising in the Russian threat, transatlantic relations, and Arctic strategy.
Minna Mentzer leads Metsä Group’s biogenic carbon capture development project and has been fully dedicated to this initiative since early 2025. Prior to joining Metsä, she held business development roles at Neste, focusing on renewable feedstock and chemical recycling of plastics. Earlier in her career, she worked in a range of technical and commercial positions at Borealis (nowadays Borouge International). Minna holds an M.Sc. (Tech.) in Process Engineering from the University of Oulu.
Dr. Matthias Rauhut has been active in the paper industry since 1991. After studying Paper Engineering in Darmstadt and earning his doctorate at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), he worked for Stora Enso and later for Felix Schoeller, where he most recently served as Managing Director of the holding company with global responsibility for Production and Technology.
From April 2013 to 2025, Dr. Rauhut led the development of DREWSEN Spezialpapiere in Lachendorf as Managing Director. Under his leadership, the nearly 500-year-old company consistently focused on building a sustainable future. Through innovative, environmentally friendly specialty papers and a forward-looking energy concept, DREWSEN set the goal of covering around 80% of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2030. A key factor in achieving this ambition is its highly motivated, well-trained, and dedicated employees, who form the cornerstone of the company's sustainability strategy.
Since 2026, Dr. Rauhut has served as Chief Executive Officer of DREWSEN Holding, where he is responsible for the strategic development of the Group.
Dr. Rauhut is also personally committed to climate-friendly mobility. From spring through autumn, he regularly cycles the 17 kilometers to work on his e-bike, reflecting his commitment to sustainability both professionally and personally.
ForestBioFacts is a comprehensive digital learning environment now powered with an AI Assistant. ForestBioFacts provides you with everything you need to know about forest-based products and technologies. In the webinars, we are presenting interesting developments around each of the 16 themes of ForestBioFacts.