Giotto Technologies

1. Today’s converters must handle diverse product formats and shorter production runs. How are modern converting systems evolving to deliver greater flexibility without increasing complexity?

As Bruno Munari, the Italian designer, said “Complicating is easy, simplifying is difficult.” This idea is highly relevant here: adding functions is simple, but removing the unnecessary to reach the essential requires real mastery. Delivering greater flexibility without increasing complexity in tissue converting lines is mainly about adding intelligence where it truly adds value. True flexibility comes from engineering simplicity that allows the system to adapt to adapt quickly without adding complexity in terms of mechanical changes or operational management for the operator.

2. What role does modular design play in enabling converters to scale operations or adapt to changing market demands quickly?

The modular design plays a key role in helping converters scale operations and respond quickly to changing market demands. Giotto Technologies projects each unit with a separate electrical cabinet, allowing customers to add, upgrade, or reconfigure individual modules independently without affecting the entire production line. This approach provides greater flexibility for capacity expansion, simplifies maintenance activities and reduces downtime during upgrades or modifications. It also allows converters to adapt faster to new production requirements, product formats, or process changes, ensuring a more future-proof and efficient operation.

3. Sustainability is no longer optional. How are tissue converting technologies addressing challenges like raw material optimization, reduced emissions, and eco-friendly production?

Sustainability is a global challenge affecting every industrial sector, and tissue converting is no exception. In this field, sustainability has become a constant focus of research and development. There is strong attention on lowering energy consumption and emissions, with more efficient machines, smarter automation and processes that minimize environmental impact. Continuous innovation is shaping the industry, and it is exciting to consider what the future may bring as new technologies and ideas emerge to further reduce environmental impact.

4. In your view, how can manufacturers balance sustainability goals with the economic pressures of a high-cost operating environment?

Sustainability should not be seen as an additional cost, but as a value to be pursued and integrated into the core strategy of a company. Viewing it solely as an expense risks losing sight of its long-term economic and competitive benefits. Rather than compromising on sustainability, manufacturers should look at other areas where costs can be reduced, such as process inefficiencies, outdated technologies, or unnecessary complexity in production. By streamlining operations and investing in smarter, more efficient systems, companies can free up resources while advancing their environmental goals.

5. As competition intensifies, how can tissue converters leverage technological innovation to differentiate themselves in both premium and value segments?

To stay competitive in an increasingly crowded market, tissue converters need to explore new, often uncharted territories and focus on creating something genuinely distinctive. The differentiation will come from the ability to combine efficiency with creativity, developing products that not only meet functional needs but also stand out in the consumer’s mind. From the consumer’s perspective, product quality is defined by a combination of factors: performance and aesthetics. This means that innovation must enhance key functional attributes such as absorbency and strength, while also improving the visual and tactile appeal of the product through advanced embossing patterns, softness and overall design.

In the premium segment, technological innovation can be leveraged to deliver superior performance, unique textures and a more refined look and feel, creating a clear perception of added value. In the value segment, innovation plays a different but equally important role: enabling cost-efficient production while maintaining reliable quality standards, so that affordability does not come at the expense of performance.

6. Looking ahead, what disruptive trends or technologies do you believe will most significantly reshape tissue converting over the next 5–10 years?

Automation, AI, digitalization and sustainability will likely be the main drivers reshaping the tissue converting industry over the next 5–10 years. Smart factories, IoT and data analytics will improve efficiency, flexibility and predictive maintenance, enable greater traceability, real-time monitoring and more flexible production lines capable of responding quickly to changing consumer demands. Robotics and autonomous logistics systems are also expected to play a larger role in improving safety and operational efficiency.

Sustainability will also be a major driver of change: energy-efficient systems and recyclable materials, will become increasingly important to optimize production costs and to meet \ market and environmental demands for eco-friendly products.

7. Finally, how should industry stakeholders—machine builders, converters, and suppliers—collaborate to build a more resilient and future-ready tissue converting ecosystem?

Industry stakeholders should strengthen collaboration by sharing operational needs, technical challenges and long-term goals in order to accelerate innovation across the tissue converting industry. Machine builders, converters and suppliers need to work together not only to improve productivity, but also to develop more sustainable and cost-effective solutions. For example, converters can provide direct feedback to machine manufacturers on energy consumption, production flexibility, or maintenance issues, helping them design more efficient and user-friendly technologies. Suppliers, on the other hand, can collaborate on developing sustainable raw materials, recyclable packaging and lower-impact production processes. Joint projects, shared testing activities, and open technical discussions can help the industry identify practical solutions that reduce waste, optimize resources and lower operating costs while also improving environmental performance. This kind of collaboration will be essential to build a more resilient, innovative and future-ready tissue converting ecosystem.