About APPTI.Transforming the Pulp, Paper & Forest Products Industry
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The Alliance for Pulp and Paper Technology Innovation—APPTI—works to transform the paper and forest products industry through innovation in its manufacturing and products. Our work addresses the priority R&D needs as determined by our member companies.
Established in 1994 - Created to Address The Unmet NeedIn 1992, a senior staff member from the Department of Energy’s Office of Industrial Technology visited the chair of the board of the American Forest and Paper Association and the chair of the industry’s Research Management Committee. The official made the simple statement that the Federal government was spending tens of millions of dollars per year in researching the pulp and paper industry, and that she and her colleagues were curious to know whether the industry valued or was even interested in any of the research being pursued by the government. How, she wondered, could alignment of effort and objectives be created?
From that visit, a technology research consortium was born in 1994 with a public announcement and press conference with the Honorable Hazel O’Leary, Secretary of Energy. The concept was creation of a forum through which industry leaders, government agencies, and academics could develop a list of priority technology avenues leading to breakthrough improvements in the industry’s efficiency and sustainability. The future-facing name Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance conveyed a vision and a time-frame. Today, that organization has evolved into the Alliance for Pulp and Paper Technology and Innovation (APPTI). A focus on objectives and research roadmaps has yielded to research execution. Its new name emphasizes the collaborative nature of the enterprise and its focus on core manufacturing technology innovation. The new logo suggests energy in motion, progress; its lean-forward italics convey an eagerness for the next generation of technology. The blue of its arc reflects the clean air and water of its sustainability goals, and suggests innovative thinking about what could be. Take a look at APPTI's Evolution and Milestones APPTI unleashes the power of collaboration among major industry's companies, work-class research universities and government agencies." |
Leveraging Research
Dr. Rallming Yang of RBI at Georgia Tech and GT student Hannah Santillo review readings for the lignin value prior to pulping project
 APPTI Former Chairman and current Board Member Dr. Fritz Paulsen of Smurfit WestRock discusses APPTI's future vision at our All-Member's Meeting July, 2017
Member companies believe that certain major common challenges too large for individual companies to tackle alone can be best addressed through cooperation among producers, suppliers, universities and government agencies. The pre-competitive and cooperative nature of the program allows companies to achieve excellent leverage of their research expenditure and provides a cost-effective way to stay in touch with critical research developments that affect the pulp and paper industry and its markets.
Companies benefit from participation in APPTI through development of technologies that support their strategic initiatives, sustainability goals, and development programs. Support for the development of advanced manufacturing technology for core pulp and paper processes is dependent on continued support by the industry through APPTI. We are led by our member companies and are guided by our Board of Directors, which consists of representatives of Full Member companies. We hold three all-members’ meetings each year to review progress on our initiatives and priorities, and to interact with technology leaders in the research community and government. We have a close working relationship with the American Forest & Paper Association (http://afandpa.org), the U.S. industry's national trade association, and are located in AF&PA's offices in Washington, DC, USA. Our address is 1101 K Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005. Call us at 202-463-2742. |