UPM_News_2016

Editorial

Long live print!

n We at UPM believe passionately in a profitable future for print. Within these covers, we explain some of the reasons why. We also share stories of publishers nurturing print as part of a genuinely multi-platform publishing strategy. UPM has invested heavily over the years in having forward- looking market insight, keeping a close eye on the supply and demand of graphical papers. This has been a driver of our Biofore strategy and a unique differentiator in the industry. We have created new business units and moved into new areas such as biofuels, bio-composites and CO 2 -free energy. What does this mean for our paper customers, then? It means that UPM is a financially solid supplier. Our diverse and growing operations mean that we are well placed to weather any short-term turbulence in the graphic papers market. We are the largest supplier of newsprint to the European market, supplying over two million tonnes from our six mills across Europe. Our extensive mill and supply chain network enables flexible back-up in times of heavy booking and optimization of production without endangering our promise of high-quality service to our customers. Last summer we sold our German Schwedt mill to LEIPA, who plans to convert the mill for production of liner board. Even so, we still have a vast newsprint operation spread widely across Europe and can continue to ensure reliability of supply. Recently we announced an organizational change bringing our News & Retail businesses under the same roof. That was a natural move for us. One of the products visibly uniting these two worlds is our new product innovation, UPM Impresse Plus C, an SC paper meant for CSWO printing. We are currently testing the new paper on industrial scale and aim to bring it onto the market in the coming months. The ultimate challenge all publishers face today is marrying print and digital in a compelling fit-for-purpose channel mix, playing to the unique strengths of each platform. In these challenging times, we should work in partnership, helping each other navigate through to a successful future. The digital deluge is unstoppable, but all of us would benefit from occasionally switching off our smartphones and picking up a newspaper. Join us for a digital detox: unplug, lean back and enjoy a quality read you can feel in your fingertips.

Anu Ahola, Senior Vice President, News & Retail, UPM Paper ENA

UPM NEWS 3