Representatives of the Łukasiewicz – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology, Paulina Copik, Dr Eng, and Mateusz Dudek, MSc Eng, took part in The European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) Annual Event 2025, held in Udine under the theme: “How decarbonisation, digitalisation and circular solutions forge the sustainable European steel future.”
The event brought together representatives of leading research centres, industry, and European institutions, providing a unique platform for exchanging knowledge and experience in innovation for the steel sector.
Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence in Steelmaking
The conference programme focused on three main pillars:
- decarbonisation
- digitalisation
- the growing role of AI in the digitalisation of the steel industry
It was impressive to see how strongly the sector focuses on collaboration and the effective use of European funding. It is clear that joint research–industry projects are delivering real, measurable results.
Green Hydrogen and Industrial Symbiosis – Directions for the Future
The sessions dedicated to green hydrogen technologies, CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) and CO₂ reuse across industries attracted great interest.
The discussions clearly demonstrated that the transition towards climate neutrality requires not only new technologies but also specialists capable of integrating and optimising them.
A particularly inspiring theme was industrial symbiosis – cooperation between different sectors to enhance energy efficiency, implement circular economy solutions, and strengthen regional resilience.
Łukasiewicz – GIT Presents Research on Biomass Use in the Sintering Process
During the poster session, representatives of Łukasiewicz – GIT presented research results on the utilisation of biomass in the sintering process of iron ores.
This topic aligns with European trends in reducing emissions and replacing fossil fuels with renewable resources.
It is an important step towards low-emission steel production. Our research shows that biomass can effectively support the decarbonisation process while maintaining product quality and production efficiency.
Towards Industry 5.0 – People and Skills at the Heart of Innovation
The ESTEP 2025 Conference confirmed that the European steel sector is dynamically evolving towards Industry 5.0, which places people and their competencies at the centre of technological transformation.
Participation in the event in Udine was not only a source of inspiration for the Łukasiewicz – GIT team but also strong motivation to further develop research projects and international cooperation.
These discussions will continue at the next ESTEP meeting in Brussels.
