Modellfabrik Papier gGmbH

Modellfabrik Papier (MFP) is dedicated to re-think industrial paper production. The non-profit organisation was founded in 2021 as one of the most ambitious joint projects currently being undertaken by the paper industry in Germany. The aim of MFP is to bridge the gap between science and industry. It brings together 24 companies from across the industry – manufacturers of all paper types, suppliers and plant manufacturers, from medium-sized companies to global market leaders. As an open innovation network, MFP links these companies with seven leading research institutes that specialise in different sub-areas and process stages of industrial paper production and related fields. Working closely with MFP’s research teams, the industry and research partners are developing innovative and disruptive solutions for the climate-neutral paper production of tomorrow.

The mission is clear: saving natural resources and reducing energy consumption in the papermaking process by 80 % until 2045. With this ambitious objective, MFP contributes significantly to the European bioeconomy by developing innovations that align with the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Strategy and the Bioeconomy Strategy.

Furthermore, the research work will make a substantial contribution to achieving national and European climate protection goals and securing the long-term future of the paper production “Made in Europe”.

Potential future developments

MFP is located in the Rhenish mining area in Dueren, a traditional hot spot of paper production. Today, the region’s paper cluster counts roughly 200 companies. MFP was appointed one of 19 anchor projects to drive the structural change in the Rhenish mining area by the government of North Rhine-Westfalia. As a transformation showcase, the research work is strategically set from lab scale, through pilot-scale testing and validation to industrial scale and application in the industry.

With currently 24 shareholders on board, MFP is working with its partners to secure the ongoing research beyond the initial public funding phase. Identifying transfer projects and acquiring more companies to push energy efficient solutions, MFP will enable to push solutions to the market towards green, sustainable paper products that support circular economy and climate conscious lifestyles.

Alongside the FOREST digitalisation project, the research work focuses on implementing simulation methods in basic research to gain a deeper understanding of underlying processes, thereby saving time, enhancing transfer efficiency and scaling deep tech solutions. Active exchange with startups and academia within Europe and beyond, through different channels such as scientific conferences and memberships like Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), are key to driving the research and scale-up work. As an innovation network, MFP is setting the industry benchmark for the research in sustainable paper production to be widely adopted in Germany and across Europe.

Current contribution

From initial ideas to innovation, from laboratory scale to industrial application: Targeting disruptive changes in the highly automated manufacturing process, MFP is driving the transformation of one of the most energy-intensive industries in Europe. Initiated by the industry and driven by joint forces, the research organisation was set in motion by fifteen industry members and is organised as triple helix together with universities and public funding. As an innovation platform with roughly 50 scientists and 40 industry employees involved in the entire network, MFP’s research teams are set to deliver high impact and substantial energy savings by developing and scaling ground-braking new technologies that make use of tailor-made raw materials or that use less or no water in the papermaking process. To that end, the organisation leverages access to public grants and combines both basic research financed by high public funding rates and transfer projects in demo/pilot scale that require a higher financial involvement by industry partners. The main project, Modellfabrik Papier research cluster (FOMOP), ranks as pre-competitive basic research. Apart from early-stage energy efficiency solutions, it contributes largely to a bioeconomy “made in Europe” as it combines sectors and partners in the field of biotechnology, textile manufacturing, computational fluid dynamics, data science, process engineering and material sciences. MFP’s second research project, dedicated to developing a framework for digital twins in paper manufacturing (FOREST), ranks at higher TRL levels. Providing the basis for different use cases that are being tested in real machines of the industry partners, it contributes to climate neutrality, energy efficiency and digitalization.