Artificial Intelligence Drives Women's Career Growth in the Pulp and Paper Industry, Says Arkhangelsk PPM Executive

Artificial intelligence is helping accelerate women's participation and career development in the pulp and paper industry by reducing barriers to technical roles and improving operational performance, according to Irina Galakhova, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026 session “Technologies without Borders: from Challenges to Perspective,” Galakhova said AI is becoming a key tool for workforce development and industrial innovation.

According to her remarks, AI is being used across the sector to forecast demand, manage inventories and assess equipment wear with up to 95% accuracy. The technology is also supporting research and development efforts and contributing to the creation of new products and production technologies.

Galakhova highlighted several industry examples. At Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Mill, AI-based solutions have helped reduce equipment downtime by 25–30% and lower repair costs by 18%. At OBF, automated systems detect paper defects with 99% accuracy compared with 85–90% for manual inspection, contributing to a 15% reduction in defects.

She also noted that women account for 90% of environmental specialists at pulp and paper enterprises and are involved in developing AI solutions for the circular economy.

“With active implementation of AI, productivity in the industry will increase significantly. The share of women in technical roles may rise to 40% by 2030 from the current 15–18%,” Galakhova said. “Global technologies know no borders, and our task is to ensure that careers in the pulp and paper industry are not limited by gender.”

Galakhova serves as coordinator of the Eurasian Women’s Forum Council project “Women in the Pulp and Paper Industry,” which supports initiatives aimed at increasing women’s participation in industry, the digital economy, leadership development and international cooperation.