Department of Systems and Control

Jožef Stefan Institute

Seamless digital integration in steel value chain for high quality final products – SMARTChain

Principal investigator:

Asst. Prof. Dr. Dejan Gradišar

Duration:

1.10.2024 - 30.09.2027

Funding:

Horizon Europe, Research area: HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-44 Digital transformation and ensuring a better use of industrial data, which can optimise steel supply chains (Clean Steel Partnership) (IA)

Abstract:

The steel industry represents an important economic pillar of the European economy, but also 4% of all EU CO2 emissions. This reduction requires fundamental, rapid and large-scale systemic transformations to fully decarbonise the global steel industry system. Thanks to digital technologies applied in steel production it will be possible to optimise processes, reduce energy consumption and improve the quality of the final products, nonetheless the digital transition is still in progress and technological solutions are still requested to make a better use of industrial data. As acknowledged by the CSP and SRIA, digitalisation is a key enabler for a sustainable and competitive EU Steel Industry. In this framework, SMARTChain aims at improving digitalisation in steel industry to go a step further in process control and optimisation, realising a horizontal integration in the steel value chain, through secure data sharing, promoting the interoperability of systems and tools to aim better quality of final and intermediate products, while optimising energy consumption and consequently reducing CO2 emissions, contributing to the achievement of the EU climate neutrality goal. Thus, the project will focus on the connection between steelmakers and steel users enabling an exchange of information devoted to the optimisation of the quality of final and intermediate products. Finally, steelmaking operators will be involved in the implementation of digital technologies through training programs that will allow to create a workforce that will make advantage of digital transformation. To reach these objectives a digital platforms for steelmakers and steel users will be developed for the data gathering from all the steps of the production process and to connect the quality of final products with material properties. Moreover, an Industrial Data Space and a Digital Material Passport will developed for secure data exchange and to guarantee the traceability of material information.

More information: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101178919