ABS at the 5th Danieli InnovAction Meeting: 700 steel experts to gather in Udine

From May 28 to 30, over 700 experts from 75 nations across five continents will gather in Buttrio (Udine, Italy) for the fifth edition of the DIM (Danieli InnovAction Meeting), an event of global relevance due to the prominent guests and hosts, as well as critical industry topics that will be discussed.

The event will feature four thematic panels addressing current challenges in the steel and metal production sector: macroeconomic and geopolitical trends, raw material and metal market, and renewable energy availability, among others. Extensive focus will be given to technical aspects, such as the synergistic integration of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and robotics in steel mills to drive efficiency, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability in the steel industry. Overall, it will host 728 entrepreneurs and specialists worldwide alongside 122 speakers presenting 76 innovative models of sustainable plants.

Giacomo Mareschi Danieli, CEO of Danieli & C. S.p.A., stated, "We are excited to highlight a new era of steel in the fifth edition of the Danieli InnovAction Meeting. This event emphasizes the importance of sustainability in steel production and serves as a platform to share knowledge and innovations among the industry's leading global players. Danieli's objective is to address the challenges posed by the economic and geopolitical landscape and produce steel with near-zero emissions while maintaining competitive operating costs. We aim to achieve this goal by focusing increasingly on innovation and cutting-edge technologies."

ABS (Acciaierie Bertoli Safau), the Steelmaking division of the Danieli Group and leading producer of special long steels, will also be represented at the event. Stefano Scolari, CEO of ABS, shared his thoughts on the initiative, "At DIM 2024, ABS will present the experience of the QWR (Quality Wire Rod), the intelligent and autonomous wire rod plant inaugurated three years ago. We will discuss new functionalities we are developing in collaboration with our customers, such as AI, production flexibility, and data collection capabilities. These are some of the essential features for advanced process control, enabling a predictive approach rather than a reactive one."

Over the three days of discussions and insights, attendees will also have the opportunity to visit some of the most prominent steel plants in Italy and abroad and take an up-close look at the technologies developed by the Danieli team and other group entities. On May 30, over 300 professionals will participate in a tour of multiple ABS plants, including the previously mentioned QWR and the Qualisteel plant in Sisak (Croatia). This presents an opportunity to share and experience firsthand the innovations in steelmaking.

"The QWR wire rod plant," Scolari continued, "is an important part of our innovation strategy, but we are not stopping there. A few months ago, we launched our new investment plan, allocating approximately 570 million euros over the next few years solely to sustainability. This includes the Digimelter (Danieli digital furnace) that, thanks to its unique characteristics, will allow us to reduce emissions by 30% and electrical consumption by 15%. Sustainability often remains an abstract concept; however, the Digimelter and other innovations presented at DIM will make a tangible impact."

Camilla Benedetti, Chairwoman of Acciaierie Bertoli Safau S.p.A. & Vice-Chairwoman of Danieli & C. S.p.A., stated about - environmental, economic, and social - sustainability too: "This meeting is a concrete example of how collaboration and innovation can guide the steel industry toward a greener and more sustainable future. We aim to create an industry that can deal with global challenges and actively contribute to sustainability and efficiency goals."

Download the complete program here >>