From the 10th to the 12th of October Tecnicelpa, the Portuguese Pulp and Paper Technical Association, held its 10th National Meeting in the city of Tomar. The main purpose of the event, which gathered some 300 participants, was to divulge the latest developments in equipment, products and services for the forestry, cellulose and paper industries.

The Portucel Soporcel group, one of the main sponsors of the event, was also present in Expocelpa with one of the most representative stalls.

On 10th October, Mr. António Redondo represented the Portucel Soporcel group in a debate on “The different visions of the pulp and paper sector” from the standpoint of the Commercial Area – Paper Business. The discussion panel was moderated by Ms. Isolete Matos, of Portucel Viana, having among its speakers Mr. A. Dolores Ferreira, from Altri, on Industry, and Mr. Nuno Borralho, from the Lisbon Technical University, on the Forest.

On 12th October Mr. José Honório, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Portucel Soporcel group, participated on the panel “Prospects for the Pulp and Paper Sector and Bionergies”, which was moderated by the journalist Helena Garrido, and was attended by Mr. Borges de Oliveira, from Altri and Mr. Enrique Isidro from Europac.

The interventions were followed with great interest by the audience, which put a number of questions to the speakers.

Congratulations to the Group employees, Ms. Cidália Abreu, Ms. Maria José Heitor and Mr. José Ataíde, who, in collaboration with the Coimbra University designed a poster entitled “A New Procedure for Measuring Diagonal Curl”, which was considered by the participants as the best of the 16 works presented in the event.

RAIZ – Forest and Paper Research Institute, was strongly represented in the event, having collaborated in nine of the thirty two technical communications presented at the Expocelpa, i.e., nearly one fourth of all the technical presentations made. These covered issues ranging from the forest to paper, including, among other themes the productions process and the environment.