Business Finland has granted €20 million funding for SSAB’s extensive Sustainable World through Steels programme aiming to transform Finland’s and its wider Nordic steel production model into a modern, efficient and sustainable manufacturing system. Together with its customers, SSAB will develop new advanced high-strength decarbonised steel grades for several industrial application fields. Spinverse team supported SSAB in designing their programme and the successful funding proposal for Business Finland’s Veturi competition for leading companies and will now facilitate building the ecosystem and implementation of the RDI collaboration.
The objective of the Sustainable World through Steels ecosystem, led by SSAB, is to create new and improved industrial applications that drive business growth and increase Finnish exports. High-strength, fossil-free steels will enable lighter, more efficient and more profitable products in the marine, automotive, construction and energy sectors, delivering significant CO₂ emission reductions across both steel production and product life cycles. Globally, the market for decarbonised steels is expected to grow to over €110 billion by 2032.
The SSAB’s 5-year programme aims to create an ecosystem comprising more than 200 partners, including research institutes and universities, digitalisation partners, other steel producers, technology developers and end-users in several application fields and value chains.
Overall, the estimated total cost of SSAB’s lead project is €50 million. As Business Finland has reserved €50 million as RDI grants for partnership projects the overall volume of the ecosystem work will well exceed €100 million.
SSAB will further strengthen the research ecosystem by significantly expanding international research and collaboration through EU funding. The ecosystem is expected to generate new business and increase export industry activity significantly.
Transformation of Nordic steel production model
The Sustainable World through Steels ecosystem will focus on the following themes:
- Solutions for fossil‑free steelmaking
- Optimisation and development of a sustainable fossil‑free supply chain through digitalisation
- Low‑emission steel applications and value chains at large scale
- Circular utilisation of steel mill side streams and materials.
Spinverse supported SSAB during their project planning phase
Spinverse supported the Sustainable World through Steels project in its planning and funding application phase. Process Development Manager Jarmo Lilja from SSAB worked with Spinverse during the whole process and comments on the collaboration as follows: “SSAB strategy to decarbonise its Nordic steelmaking and invest in developing new sustainable ultra-high strength steel products was successfully transformed into a well-structured Veturi programme plan together with SSAB and Spinverse teams. The experience and competence of Spinverse in innovation management had a significant role in reaching the goals for positive funding and creating a frame for future work.”
Now, as the work is starting, Spinverse technology and ecosystem experts Dr. Sergei Chekurov and Dr. Markku Heino will continue working closely with the SSAB core team in setting up concrete activities for the extensive RDI programme and leading the ecosystem collaboration. The ecosystem will bring together actors from across the steel industry value chains and beyond, including end users, steel producers and technology developers, recycling and chemical companies, digitalisation companies, as well as leading research centres and universities.
The mission of Business Finland
projects for leading companies is to
solve significant future challenges and increase Finland's competitiveness. A
condition for the funding is that the company commits to increasing its
research and development activities in Finland and creating new jobs.
More information:
SSAB press release
Programme website
Photo credit: SSAB
Are you planning to look into Business Finland's Veturi funding for leading companies? Get in touch with our experts so we can discuss!
Janne Kaukojärvi
Senior Sales Manager, Business Development,
M. Sc. (Eng.)
janne.kaukojärvi@spinverse.com
+358 50 5286197