Södra, James Cropper Collaborate to Commercialize DuraPulp
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Together with U.K. based specialty paper producer James Cropper PLC, Södra, Sweden, is taking the first commercial step into the international market for bio-composite material DuraPulp. The collaboration brings together the respective core competences of each organization and the creation of cross-functional expert teams with the aim to develop DuraPulp solutions for a wide potential range of applications.
"James Cropper's extensive technical competence and global market reach will mean that we will be able to speed up the commercialization of DuraPulp," said Anna Altner, Södra's project manager for DuraPulp.
"Initially, the collaboration will involve niche and high end packaging related applications, but we do see wide potential opportunities, including the horticulture market," added Jacqueline Redman, strategic marketing and innovation manager at James Cropper.
James Cropper has two business divisions. The paper division includes the specialty and luxury paper manufacturing and converting business and the non-woven division, and Technical Fiber Products, which holds a niche and leading position in the aerospace, energy, medical, automotive, and other sectors. James Cropper Specialty Papers is one of the world's leading producers of bespoke colored paper. In the past six months alone, it has won two awards for innovative, sustainable luxury packaging, most recently in Shanghai. .
"We will be exploring these markets to establish if our unique product can offer useful solutions," noted Urban Blomster, business development manager for DuraPulp.
Södra is already involved in technical collaboration with Swt Paper, a privately-owned business development company in Varberg specializing in bespoke paper and cardboard products. This collaboration is making it possible to produce wet-formed DuraPulp demonstrators that showcase the material's potential in bespoke packaging and containers. DuraPulp is a bio-composite material that consists of specially-selected pulp from Södra Cell and a renewable biopolymer. After additional processing, these two components take on special properties, such as moisture resistance, strength, and rigidity.
