Current and future aspects of the digital transformation in the European Steel Industry (original) (raw)

The Challenge of Digitalization in the Steel Sector

Metals

Digitalization represents a paramount process started some decades ago, but which received a strong acceleration by Industry 4.0 and now directly impacts all the process and manufacturing sectors. It is expected to allow the European industry to increase its production efficiency and its sustainability. In particular, in the energy-intensive industries, such as the steel industry, digitalization concerns the application of the related technologies to the production processes, focusing on two main often overlapping directions: Advanced tools for the optimization of the production chain and specific technologies for low-carbon and sustainable production. Furthermore, the rapid evolution of the technologies in the steel sector require the continuous update of the skills of the industrial workforce. The present review paper, resulting from a recent study developed inside a Blueprint European project, introduces the context of digitalization and some important definitions in both the Eur...

European project 'blueprint "new skills agenda steel": industry-driven sustainable european steel skills agenda and strategy (essa)' – the first year of implementation

Journal of Metallic Materials, 2020

The article presents the general characteristics of the European project implemented by an international consortium, which includes the Łukasiewicz Research Network-Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy. The project concerns the preparation and improvement of personnel for the steel sector in the face of the rapidly approaching industrial revolution 4.0: WORK 4.0 for STEEL 4.0. The article presents the first results of the project obtained in 2019, highlighting the Institute's contribution. The four-year project (completed in December 2022) integrates the efforts in this area of a broad European consortium, consisting of 24 partners from 10 countries and 14 associated partners from 8 countries, in the ERASMUS + programme.

Digitalisation-based optimization of steel production for competitiveness and sustainability

Metal ..., 2022

The metallurgical sector is one of the main pillars of European industry. Steel is important not only for modern economies of developed countries but is an essential part of building infrastructure in developing countries, and thus in the coming decades, global demand for steel is expected to increase to meet growing social and economic needs. Currently, however, the steel industry is among the top three producers of CO2 emissions. Steel producers have a great opportunity to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions and improve energy consumption efficiency, thereby increasing their competitiveness, mainly through optimizing, digitalization and innovating the production process by introducing low-carbon technologies and increasing the efficiency of raw material and energy resources. This scientific article is focused on developing advanced mathematical prediction models and analysis of steel production processes. By utilizing modern BAT and ITs technologies, this research aims to improve the competitiveness of the steel industry by optimizing production processes and through the integration of datasets and analysis techniques contribute to reducing the carbon emissions in steel production through energy consumption optimization and the implementation of sustainable practices. Through the utilization of mathematical prediction models and advanced analysis techniques, the article aims to optimize steel production processes and enhance the competitiveness of the metallurgical sector.

Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills: towards an EU strategy addressing the skills needs of the steel sector. European vision on steel-related skills and supporting actions to solve the skills gap today and tomorrow in Europe

2020

This study was initiated to pursue the key priority actions identified by the European Commission in the framework of the Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation in the steel sector. These included acquiring comprehensive knowledge on the current situation of the steel workforce with regards to skills availability and shortages as well as providing a state-of-play description of the different national education and training systems in seven target countries: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. Information on these two aspects was gathered by engaging with key sector stakeholders, including industry representatives, trade unions, education providers, and public authorities. Additionally, the study provides insight into jobseekers' perceptions of careers in the steel industry, suggesting which biases and challenges may affect their choice to take up such a career. Based on the research findings, the study proposes a series of recommendations on actions t...

Institutional complementarities and technological transformation: IVET responsiveness to Industry 4.0 – meeting emerging skill needs in the European steel industry

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2021

Digital technology is gradually changing the organisation of production and work. In this article, the authors explore the implications of such developments for workers through the lens of skill, and the skill needs developing out of the shift towards Industry 4.0 technologies now being employed within the European steel industry. Specifically, the article examines the preparedness of initial vocational training systems to support adaptation to Industry 4.0 and the changes in work and employment that will follow. The article addresses such developments from the point of view of institutional theory, analysing how different institutional architectures influence responses to change.

Skills Requirements for the European Machine Tool Sector Emerging from Its Digitalization

Metals

The machine tool industry, which is the starting point of all the metal producing activities, is presently undergoing rapid and continuous changes as a result of the fourth industrial revolution Industry 4.0. Manufacturing models are profoundly transforming with emerging digitalization. Smart technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twin, allow the machine tool companies to optimize processes, increase efficiency and reduce waste through a new phase of automation. These technologies, as well, enable the machine tool producers to reach the aim of creating products with improved performance, extended life, high reliability that are eco-efficient. Therefore, Industry 4.0 could be perceived as an invaluable opportunity for the machine tool sector, only if the sector has a competent workforce capable of handling the implementation of new business models and technological developments. The main condition to create this highly qualifie...

Innovation paradigms for the steel industry of the 21st Century. Future directions for steel industry and CC

Revue de métallurgie, 2002

The History of Industry mirrors the History of Society, by which it is also reflected. Its purpose is to describe the emergence of technologies which exhibit a personality of their own and not only bring out new possibilities, but also a stiffness to which all stakeholders should to some extend yield, especially the decision makers in business circles. Technologies that succeed commercially are those which are able to provide sustainable answers to the demands put forward successively by each one of them. These robust technologies, which are not identical to the disruptive technologies of K. Brimacombe, meet criteria, which in effect are true innovation paradigms. A list of these is proposed here, stemming from a retrospective analysis of process development in the steel industry. It is probably adventurous to project these into a technological forecasting exercise, due to the non-deterministic nature of history. But this is an interesting way to focus on the challenges that should be met in the future and that no stakeholder would refuse to face. Tout est déjà passé ou présent, et il n'y a pas d'avenir. Mais là où vient ce qui reste à venir, je suis exposé, voué à être libre, et à décider, dans la mesure où je ne peux pas prévoir, prédéterminer, pronostiquer (1). Jacques Derrida s INTRODUCTION Manfred Wolf had many talents. One that I admired most, was his ability to speak to each one of us in our own native tongue. It would seem fit to present a paper prepared as a tribute to him in several languages, but this would be rather unpractical. I shall therefore only use international English here, but will allow myself a few lapses into French, to make use of the subtler means of expression that is only available in one's native language. This will let me concentrate on the topic of this paper, i.e. utopia built around technical ideas, which are the essence of technological forecasting.