Making steel a better-looking and a more environment-friendly product will be among the focus areas at the three-day Asian Steel Conference starting February 6.
The triennial conference, organised by the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, The Chinese Society for Metals, The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and the Indian Institute of Metals, is coming to India after 2003, Anand Sen, president TQM and Steel Business, Tata Steel and Chairman, Asian Steel 2018, said.
Tata Steel is the main sponsor of the event, which will be held in Bhubaneswar. About 70 keynote speakers, half of them from countries such as China, Korea, Japan, Netherlands, U.K., U.S., Germany, Belgium, Canada are expected to address the meet.
They will represent major producers such as Nippon Steel, POSCO, Bao Steel, SMS Paulwurth Germany/Luxembourg besides Indian firms.
‘Lagging West’
Noting that the Asian steel industry lagged the West in many respects, Mr. Sen said there was a lot of catching up to do. “Steel needs to become better-looking at a lower cost, and more environment-friendly.”
“Academics from the University of Cambridge, and Chongqing University, China, heads of research labs at Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal, Japan and POSCO, Korea will address issues such as surface treatment and corrosion, steel products and applications and environmental engineering and waste utilisation,” he added.
The list of sponsors as it stands now, did not include Steel Authority of India Ltd. although, SAIL’s Research and Development outfit will participate at the conference.
