The paper industry faces ecological and economic pressure to reduce water and energy consumption. Traditional wet processes rely heavily on energy-intensive drying and large amounts of fresh water. Inspired by textile technologies, novel drylaid processes are being developed to form and bond paper structures without water. This enables significant resource savings and offers new flexibility in material selection and structure design. As part of the FOMOP research cluster, the Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University (ITA) and the Modellfabrik Papier gGmbH, together with TU Dresden, are jointly investigating this approach. The Modellfabrik Papier, a collaborative effort comprising 23 industrial partners, provides an innovate ecosystem where multiple solutions are explored to achieve an 80 % energy reduction in paper manufacturing. On of these innovations include low-airflow web forming and sustainable, recyclable bonding additives that do not interfere with existing recycling streams. Simulations support the development by modelling the fluid dynamics of the dry processed fibre flows. Initial prototypes have demonstrated reproducible fibre distribution and mechanical strength of drylaid paper. The approach is being developed and optimized at pilot scale, with scalability toward industrial use as a long-term objective. The presentation will highlight both the technical developments and the collaborative research process driving this sustainable transformation.