Competitive advantage starts with smarter fibre choices
Demand for premium product segments, particularly structured and textured tissue, specialty papers and sustainable packaging, is growing rapidly. At the same time, pulp buyers are navigating rising cost pressures, tighter quality requirements and an increasingly complex supply chain environment.Given this, fibre selection is no longer a simple procurement decision – it has become a defining strategic choice.
“In a market with more options and more complexity, the question is how to make the right fibre choices,” says Aki Temmes, Executive Vice President, UPM Fibres.
When markets are challenging, buyers often default to prioritizing price and simplifying sourcing decisions. Temmes understands the impulse but warns it can be costly.
“Cost matters, of course, but focusing only on the fibre price can overlook major impacts on production efficiency, product quality and overall business performance,” he says.
Understanding the role of different fibre types
Part of the challenge is that fibres are not interchangeable. Softwood and hardwood pulp grades have distinct properties that directly shape end-product quality, machine runnability, refining energy consumption and converting efficiency.
“Each fibre type plays a different role in a well-designed furnish,” Temmes explains. “Understanding what each fibre actually does is the foundation for making smarter sourcing decisions.”
Pilot trials demonstrate measurable savings
To put these principles into practice, UPM has conducted pilot trials to examine how optimized fibre combinations can improve cost efficiency and product performance in premium towel products.
The pilot trials confirmed a clear pattern: adjusting fibre furnish can unlock measurable cost savings while maintaining, or even improving, key quality parameters. At the same time, the results highlighted that optimization has its limits and must be carefully balanced against strength, runnability and process stability.
These findings reinforce that the real value lies in understanding how different fibres interact, and in having access to all of them.
“The right data, the right expertise and the right fibre portfolio turn furnish decisions into measurable business value,” he says.
That value, however, depends on more than raw material price. Furnish changes that look attractive on paper can quickly erode their value if they affect machine performance. For example, saving 15 USD/ton in furnish costs means little if a sheet break follows – the ramp-up time alone can wipe out up to 12 hours of accumulated savings. Two sheet breaks, and the entire cost advantage may be gone. True optimization accounts for runnability, not just raw material price.
In our upcoming expert videos, we walk through the trials in detail: sharing the data, trade-offs and practical implications for tissue processes.
Why multifibre expertise matters
Most pulp producers specialize in a single fibre type, which means buyers must piece together advice from multiple suppliers when optimizing the full furnish.
“A buyer working with multiple single-fibre suppliers is assembling the picture themselves – without a partner who holds the whole view,” Temmes says.
UPM’s position is different. With eucalyptus, northern softwood and birch pulp produced across five mills in Finland and Uruguay, it offers a genuinely broad commercial portfolio built on hands-on production experience with all major fibre types.
“True multifibre expertise requires true multifibre production,” Temmes says. “Because we work with all major fibre types, we can help customers optimize the full furnish instead of focusing on only one part of the equation.”
That expertise only delivers its full value, however, when it is backed by reliable supply. UPM Pulp produces pulps across two continents in stable, predictable operating environments, reducing supply risk and giving customers confidence in continuity.
“The right furnish, combined with the right expertise and supply base, delivers measurable value across cost, quality and reliability. In an increasingly competitive market, smarter fibre choices matter more than ever,” Temmes concludes.