News>News

Almost a century of industrial history cannot be explained solely by the ability to withstand the passage of time. In the case of [Pasaban], a family-owned company based in Tolosa specialising in high-precision machinery for the paper industry, its evolution has been shaped by innovation, adaptation and a constant commitment to specialised knowledge. Today, the company exports 96% of its production, operates in more than 40 countries and has developed technologies for some of the world's most demanding markets. Its latest innovation, as revealed by current CEO Dani García on the Made in Basque Country programme, is a machine capable of producing nearly four reams of paper per second, once again highlighting the technological capabilities of a niche industrial company that aims to remain competitive from the Basque Country.

You have recently developed a technology that you describe as unique in the world. What exactly does it involve and what does it bring to the market?

We probably all have packs of printer paper in our offices. When they run out, we open a box, remove the wrapping and put a pack of sheets into the printer. Well, the machine we have developed is precisely designed to produce those packs. It starts with large paper reels manufactured at a paper mill and carries out the entire process until the paper is converted into wrapped packs ready for distribution. What consumers see is a simple product, but behind it lies enormous technological complexity. To give you an idea, these packs are produced on lines that are more than 150 metres long and consist of more than 200,000 components.

And what is the key differentiating feature of this machine?

Its production capacity. It is currently the most productive machine in its category on the market and can reach almost four packs per second, or approximately 2,000 sheets per second.

Pasaban is approaching its centenary. What do you consider to have been the key to getting this far?

Throughout our history, we have gone through different stages and, probably, each one has required different key factors. However, there are elements that have remained constant, such as ambition, the ability to take risks, customer orientation and a commitment to meeting our customers' needs and expectations. It has also been essential to maintain a constant drive for improvement and, probably above all, the commitment of the people who have worked for this company over the course of almost 100 years.

Would you say that this roadmap is what has enabled you to become a global benchmark?

Until around 2010, we competed mainly with German companies, which were benchmarks in the market and offered good products at lower prices. Today, we are leaders in our market, and that means we have to defend that position, work towards operational excellence and maintain our competitiveness. We have a first-class product, but we are also considerably more expensive than our current competitors. That is why efficiency and our ability to continue delivering value are fundamental.

As such a highly specialised company, have you ever felt the need to diversify your business?

Yes. In fact, our history has been characterised by the development of highly varied solutions and, in many cases, highly customised solutions for each market. That is part of our DNA. Throughout this journey, we have diversified the business, but always through diversification related to our capabilities and expertise in paper and board handling and cutting. The machine for producing paper reams is a good example, as it means entering a product and market niche in which we had not previously operated.

You have also developed solutions for the food paper sector...

It is true that in recent years we have developed solutions for other segments, such as food paper and banknote paper, where we currently have significant recognition worldwide. We are also working on other diversification projects that we hope will allow us to continue expanding our capabilities and markets.

Speaking of food paper... In what sense?

For that, we have to go to the North American market and look at a sector such as fast food, and specifically hamburgers. If we travel to the United States and have a hamburger at any of its franchises, there is a good chance that the paper wrapping that hamburger was cut on a Pasaban machine.

Can this be described as technological precision?

It can, and it should, because that is the reality, even though apparently we are talking about nothing more than a piece of paper used to wrap a hamburger. In this case, the logo of a chain such as McDonald's or Burger King needs to be perfectly centred on the wrapping paper, with precision in the order of a millimetre. This is probably something consumers do not notice while eating a hamburger, but behind it lies highly sophisticated technology, including vision systems, extremely precise synchronisation and very high production speeds. So, if someone goes to a McDonald's or Burger King in the United States, there is a good chance that the wrapping paper they use was produced on a Pasaban machine.

And what about banknote paper?

Because we have been working for central banks around the world for many years. This is the result of developing solutions for very specific customer requirements. In the 1980s, one of our customers asked us for a cutter capable of working "in register". This means that the paper contains an image — in that case, a watermark — and the cutting process must be carried out so that the image is positioned exactly where it needs to be on the sheet. This technology is fundamental to banknote production, and that project allowed us to acquire the capabilities we subsequently needed to enter that market. In 1995, we manufactured our first banknote paper-cutting machine for the National Bank of Ukraine. Since then, we have consolidated our position to become a global benchmark and have worked with a significant number of central banks around the world, including France, the Netherlands, Poland, China, India, Uzbekistan, Russia and Ukraine, among others.

In this financial market niche, you have a particularly strong relationship with the National Mint and Stamp Factory (FNMT). What does this involve?

We have worked closely with them to address technological challenges that subsequently became major successes, such as MAES, the machine that applies specific security features to banknotes: the window, the foil strip featuring the image of Europe that is perfectly aligned with it, and the iridescent ink, among other elements. In fact, a significant proportion of the euro banknotes currently in circulation have been produced using Pasaban machines.

You have always highlighted how your almost century-long history has been shaped by values traditionally associated with Basque industrial culture. Which would you highlight?

They are values that are very characteristic of our society and that, as such, we must preserve and promote, such as hard work, commitment, perseverance and humility. It is a formula that has worked for us so far and is part of our corporate culture. We also have a motto that is deeply embedded in the way we understand our relationship with customers: "We never abandon a customer."

And in the current context, marked by economic and geopolitical uncertainty, what can Pasaban expect from the future?

The current situation is indeed extremely challenging. Geopolitics is increasingly influencing economic and business activity, and there is a very high level of uncertainty. Pasaban is also experiencing and dealing with this impact. But we are fully committed to the future of the company and to maintaining our roots in the Basque Country. We are a deeply Basque company and are proud to generate wealth in our surroundings. We have been in the market for almost 100 years. We have faced difficult times in the past, and we are equally committed to overcoming any challenges that may arise in the future.However, the past does not guarantee the future. We have to be able to adapt to new realities, in a context in which competitiveness and demands are constantly increasing. And we can only do that through the efforts of all the people who make up Pasaban today, while keeping in mind that we must build a legacy that, just as previous generations did for us, we can pass on to the generations that follow.