Resource efficiency in the Strategic Research Agenda of the European Steel Technology Platform

Abstract

Steel is the essential material for a circular economy. Through the technological evolution of human society, steel remains fundamental to daily life and to the welfare of the society. In effect it has been recognized as a Key Enabling Technology. Steel is actually ubiquitous and most artifacts are either made of steel, in part or in their entirety, or are manufactured from machines and tools made of steel. It is deeply embedded in the anthroposphere, and like all materials, its production requires significant consumption of resources, energy, raw materials and logistics. However, its recyclability means that steel produced today will be utilized by future generations. Resource efficiency is an important topic for the European steel industry: it naturally lies in the operating practice of the standard production cycle, due to the recyclability of steel, the significant quantities of raw materials required for its production and the large volumes of by-products. Further efforts and innovative approaches are demanded to improve resource efficiency. This paper resents how the Strategic Research Agenda of the European Steel Technology Platform addresses the different aspects of resource efficiency in order to highlight the challenges that the sector faces in terms of Research and Innovation fostering a sustainable steel production.