On Wednesday, December 9, 2026, the Cellulose Valley Chair will host the 5th edition of Cellience, its international webinar dedicated to scientific and technological advances in cellulose. Free and accessible online, the event will bring together researchers, experts, and industry leaders to discuss three major topics: alternative fibers and circularity, new barrier solutions, and artificial intelligence applied to cellulosic materials and processes.
Over the years, Cellience has established itself as a must-attend event for the international community working on cellulosic materials. In 2025, more than 400 people registered for the 4th edition, coming from many countries to learn about the latest advances in the field and discuss sustainable packaging solutions.
This fifth edition will build on this momentum with an international program, bringing together scientists from various universities and research institutes around the world.
A scientific program focused on three major challenges
GMT+1 (Europe / Paris)
8:30–8:40 | Welcome & Introduction
Candice Rey & Jérémie Viguié - LGP2, Grenoble INP - UGA, France
Session I - Alternative Fibres & Circularity
8:40 - 9:00 | Agricultural Residues and Paludiculture Plants as Alternative Fibre Sources for Sustainable Paper and Board Packaging
Dr. Fokko Schütt - Thünen Institute, Germany
9:00 - 9:20 | Papermaking from Alternative Lignocellulosic Fibres: Opportunities and Challenges
Prof. Vibhore Kumar Rastogi - IIT Roorkee, India
9:20 - 9:40 | From Textile Waste to Paper: Opportunities for Circular Fibre Utilization in Papermaking
Prof. Ulrich Hirn - Graz University of Technology, Austria
Session II - Next-Generation Barrier Solutions
9:50 - 10:10 | Engineering Cellulose-Based Materials for High Water Vapour Barrier Packaging: From Fundamental Limitations to Innovative Solutions
Prof. Gil Garnier - Monash University, Australia
10:10 - 10:30 | Colloidal Coatings on Cellulose Fiber Bottles for the Sustainable Packaging of Liquids
Prof. Joseph L. Keddie - University of Surrey, UK
10:30 - 10:50 | Turning Non-Edible Vegetable Waste into Active Coatings for Paperboard Packaging
Dr. Idalina Gonçalves - University of Aveiro, Portugal
Session III - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning for Cellulose Materials and Processes
11:00 - 11:20 | Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Sustainable Cellulosic Materials and Processes
Dr. Sankhya Mohanty - Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
11:20 - 11:40 | Machine Learning Applications in Lignin Nanoparticles Research
Dr. Ronald Jesús Márquez Contreras - University of Girona, Spain
11:40 - 12:00 | Machine Learning for Energy Efficiency and Process Optimization in Papermaking
Dr. Raine Viitala - Aalto University, Finland (To be confirmed)
An international gathering to share research advances
With this new edition of the Cellience webinar, the Cellulose Valley Chair promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration between academic research and industry to accelerate the development of more sustainable cellulose-based solutions.
From the use of new fiber-based resources to next-generation barrier solutions, along with the growing role of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the 2026 program highlights the diversity of research being conducted to advance materials and processes.
Join us online on Wednesday, December 9. Participation is free—register now!
