2026 FutureProof Program
Day One sets the strategic direction for the industry, opening with a plenary focused on policy, skills and technology, before transitioning into concurrent streams: the Appita Smart Packaging Forum and the Appita New Speaker Competition & Technical Forum.
Program Outline
A strategic plenary featuring leadership, government and technology perspectives on the future of fibre-based manufacturing, workforce capability and digital transformation.
Explores the shift to fibre-based packaging across innovation, standards, regulation, performance evidence and market adoption.
Featuring the New Speaker Competition Final and leadership XChange, followed by technical forum on process innovation and workshop.
Detailed Program
Click to expand each section for full session details.
Opening Plenary — FutureProofing Our Industry: The Path Forward (8:30–10:30)
Welcome
MC: David Platt, Co-Founder & CEO, Resilient Futures
Opening Address
Lauren Wood, President, Appita
Sponsor Address
Keynote: FutureProofing Fibre-Based Manufacturing (TBC)
A perspective on the future of Australia’s fibre, paper, packaging and bioproducts industries, including skills, innovation and manufacturing capability.
Tech Keynote: AI and the Future of Manufacturing
A technology leader’s view on how AI and automation are reshaping operations across the sector, and what this means for future capability, productivity and workforce development.
Morning Tea & Networking
Stream A — Appita Smart Packaging Forum (10:30–5:00)
Welcome & Forum Objectives
MC: David Platt, Co-Founder & CEO, Resilient Futures
Welcome and overview of the Smart Packaging Forum objectives and structure for the day.
Keynote Address — Leading the Shift to Fibre-Based Packaging
David Martin, CEO, Spicers
A strategic view of market expectations, customer drivers, and the opportunities and barriers shaping the transition to sustainable, fibre-based packaging across ANZ.
Science & Standards for Fibre Packaging — SMaRT-Pack
Prof. Gil Garnier, Director, BioPRIA
New scientific insights, recyclability test methods, and protocols developed under SMaRT-Pack supporting robust evidence for fibre-based packaging performance.
Global Supply Chain Requirements: EUDR, FSC, PEFC & Traceability
The EU Deforestation Regulation introduces significant new compliance obligations across fibre supply chains, including chain-of-custody, traceability and due diligence.
Global Packaging Transitions: EPR, PPWR & Market Shifts Driving Fibre Demand
Renata Daudt, Director & Packaging Engineer, Awen Packaging Consulting
Major regulatory drivers reshaping the global packaging landscape and market signals pushing accelerated “paperisation.”
Lunch & Networking
Innovation Spotlight — Spicers & Papkot
Papkot Representative (TBC)
Key learnings from global industrial trials demonstrating recyclability, barrier properties and production readiness of biomineral fibre packaging.
Industry Innovation & Paperisation: Emerging Fibre Formats and New Applications
Industry innovations across barrier-coated fibre, thermoformed fibre, PFAS-free systems, and the emerging wave of paperisation for primary and secondary packaging.
Panel Discussion — The Future of Fibre Packaging: Innovation, Evidence & Market Adoption
Panellists to be announced.
A forward-looking discussion on scaling fibre packaging solutions through innovation, harmonised standards, and data-driven market access.
Afternoon Tea & Networking
Cold-Chain Fibre Packaging: Performance, Barriers & Market Readiness
Exploring insulation performance, moisture management, barrier technologies, and recyclability challenges for cold-chain fibre alternatives.
PANEL: PFAS-Free Packaging — Testing, Thresholds & Transition Pathways
Panellists to be announced.
Approaches to PFAS and total fluorine testing, emerging thresholds, and practical transition strategies for converters and brands.
Interactive Session — Industry Priorities for 2026–2030
Facilitator: David Platt, Co-Founder & Founder, Resilient Futures
Delegates identify the top challenges, innovations and regulatory priorities shaping the next five years of fibre packaging transformation.
After-session Networking — Drinks & Canapés
Stream B — Appita New Speaker Competition & Technical Forum & Workshop (10:30–5:00)
New Speaker Competition Final & Xchange: Leading with Purpose, followed by a technical session on process innovation and a troubleshooting workshop.
Welcome
Moderator: Liam Methven, Chair, Appita Young Professionals Network (YPN)
Water Sustainability in the Pulp, Paper & Packaging Industry
Tara O’Brien, Environment & Sustainability Specialist, Opal (Australia)
Functionally Graded Cellulose Foam Packaging
Brayden Whitton, PhD Student, University of Waikato (New Zealand)
Xchange Session: Leading with Purpose
Facilitator: Appita YPN
Speaker: Ardi Sastrohartoyo, Manufacturing & EHSQ Manager, Kemira (Australia)
This interactive Xchange Roundtable invites young professionals to explore how purpose-led leadership can shape sustainable performance and build people resilience in the pulp, paper and packaging sector. Participants will work in small groups to unpack real workplace challenges and identify the capabilities future leaders will need to thrive.
- Collective insights on purpose-led leadership and resilient teams
- A capability list identifying key skills for emerging industry leaders
- Practical actions young professionals can apply in their workplaces
Lunch & Networking
Sponsor
Characterisation for efficiency (how modern-day instruments contribute to mill efficiencies)
Yan Lou, Sales Manager, APAC, Techpap SAS/CTP,
Navigating Energy Volatility: A Smarter Path to Reliable, Renewable Process Heat
Will Furness, Head of Business Development, MGA Thermal, Australia
Reducing Shear in High-Performance Pulp Thermoforming
Liam Methven, Researcher, Varden Process, Australia
Afternoon Tea & Networking
Technical Knowledge in Action Workshop
After-session Networking — Drinks & Canapés
Day Two features the Future Ready Manufacturing plenary, followed by the Energy & Renewables Forum (proudly sponsored by Flow Power) and a detailed Renewable Heat Workshop supporting Appita’s Renewable Process Heat Study.
Program Outline
Detailed Program
Click to expand each section.
Plenary — Future Ready Manufacturing (9:00–11:00)
Registration & Arrival Coffee
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Lauren Wood, Appita President
Recognising Excellence
New Speaker Competition announcement and Appita Recognition Award
Opening Keynote: Future Ready Manufacturing
Panel: Where Fibre is Headed
Industry experts discuss market trends, opportunities, and challenges.
Morning Tea
Energy & Renewables Forum (11:00–12:30) — Sponsored by Flow Power
Opening Remarks
Moderator: David Platt, Resilient Futures
Sponsor Address
Emmett Williams, Head of Commercial Solutions, Flow Power
Guest Keynote: Decarbonisation
Panel: Powering the Mill of the Future — Technology, Economics & Strategy
Angela Clarke, Principal Consultant, Energy & Carbon, Northmore Gordon
Emmett Williams, Head of Commercial Solutions, Flow Power
Lunch & Networking (12:30–1:30)
Lunch & Networking
Renewable Heat Workshop (1:30–5:00)
Welcome, Context & Introduction
Overview of the Renewable Process Heat Study, why industry input matters, and how the workshop will shape case studies and investment pathways.
Mapping Heat Use Across the Industry
Collaborative exercise to identify major heat sources/sinks and construct a representative “typical site” heat profile.
Understanding Heat Levels and Demand
Discussion of temperature levels, steam/air flows, pressure characteristics and where heat is concentrated or dissipated.
Visualising the Heat Landscape
Presentation of an aggregated heat map and process schematic to guide opportunity identification.
Opportunities for Heat Recovery
An interactive session exploring where direct or enhanced heat recovery could be applied or improved.
Technologies That Enable Heat Recovery
Overview of options including heat exchangers, MVR, condensate recovery and integration approaches.