The aim of the network is to strengthen the competitiveness of the European steel industry by conducting joint research and development work. In
cross-institute working groups, topics for future research are identified and a common approach discussed for obtaining public funding for such research
projects. Several meetings have already been held on topics such as Recycling and Energy Recovery”.

The network also pursues a co-ordinated strategy regarding research issues in its dealings with the various European bodies (Commission, Eurofer, ESTEP, etc.). It has already succeeded in participating in the process for defining the terms of reference for the next European research programme (Horizon 2020) and the legal framework for the European Research Area (ERA) in order to establish the necessary conditions for energy and resource efficient steel production in Europe in the future.

In management meetings held several times a year (the most recent being in mid-November in Rome), the institute heads exchange views on strategic research topics and agree on which topics will provide the greatest opportunities for exploiting synergies. The focal areas of the institutes are described
briefly below:

Centre for Research in Metallurgy: Focused on innovation for steel and metallic materials, the R&D activities of CRM in Belgium address five main key-topics: the environment-friendly metal production, the energy efficiency, the metallurgical & thermo-mechanical processing, the surface engineering.
Besides up-to-date analysis and characterisation laboratories, CRM manages large and unique pilot lines, designed and built by its operational engineering
division in the field of raw materials and by-product conditioning, sintering, direct reduction, hot rolling, annealing, galvanizing and surface treatments.

Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A.: The CSM in Rome, Italy, conducts research along the entire steel production chain. It is active on both steel manufacturing and product development. The Institute maintains the necessary test facilities, laboratory capacity and metallurgical expertise for these purposes.

Swerea Mefos: Mefos in Lulea, Sweden, engages in research mainly in the areas of metallurgy, reheating furnaces and hot rolling. Mefos is well-known for its pilot plants, ranging from reduction and melting furnaces to its own hot rolling mill where research projects can be implemented directly in a small integrated steel works.

VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut GmbH: The BFI in Düsseldorf, Germany, conducts research along the entire steel production chain up to the semi-finished product stage. However, its main focus is on instrumentation and automation technology in the various production stages and on through-process approaches leading ultimately to factory-wide process optimisation.