From 11 to 13 May 2026, the 14th European Electric Steelmaking Conference (EEC) and the 5th International Conference on Energy and Material Efficiency and CO2 Reduction in the Steel Industry (EMECR) took place in Milan, bringing together leading professionals from the steel industry to discuss innovative pathways toward CO2-neutral metallurgy and sustainable steel production. The Chair of Ferrous and Steel Metallurgy was prominently represented with several scientific contributions, presenting recent research findings on process innovation, material efficiency, and quality assurance in low-CO2 steelmaking:
- Dr.mont. Kathrin Thiele: “Implementation of Novel Tracing Techniques to Control Steel Cleanness in CO2-Neutral Steelmaking”
- Dr.mont. Daniel Ernst: “Assessment of Oxide Alloying Elements in the Hydrogen Plasma Smelting Reduction (HPSR) Process”
- Dr.mont. Julian Cejka: “Influence of copper and tin on the oxidic cleanness and investigation of the agglomeration tendency of non-metallic inclusions in a medium-carbon steel”
- Poster presentation by Dr.mont. Bernhard Mitas: “A Front-Fixing Approach for Scrap Dissolution Modeling in EAF Steelmaking”
In addition, Univ.-Prof. Susanne Michelic served as a member of the EEC Scientific and Steering Committee.
The Chair’s contributions underscore the central role of university research in transforming the steel industry—from tracing and controlling steel cleanness to assessing alloying elements in the HPSR process and modeling key phenomena in electric steelmaking.
The conference provided an excellent platform for professional exchange, international networking, and dialogue on key technologies on the path to climate-neutral steel production. We thank the organizers and all participants for their valuable input and look forward to continuing this scientific exchange in future formats.
Picture Credit: Kathrin Thiele, Associazione Italiana die Metallurgia
