Project SUPER

Decarbonisation is an ongoing endeavour within the European steel industry. This involves significant modifications to processes, new plants and the use of new energy sources and media, as well as the integration of digital tools. Alongside these technical challenges, a substantial need for new know-how, skills and paradigms for plant and production management has emerged. This situation is further exacerbated by a considerable retirement rate, leading to a loss of experience and a shift in the structure of the steel industry's workforce. Both, decarbonisation (technological transformation) and demographic change (workforce transformation), are occurring amidst challenging economic conditions, creating a highly unfavourable environment for the steel industry.

The SUPER project takes an innovative approach, combining both topics at the same time (Figure 1). This hybrid methodology enhances interdisciplinary communication, creating new perspectives and opportunities to identify synergies. Within the project, a talent training (RACE - “Raw & Circular Economy Expedition”), a desk research and stakeholder consultations are performed, and interdisciplinary know-how dissemination and networking are initiated. The results and feedback are subsequently used to formulate recommendations for future activities and policy initiatives.