2023 Retrospect

In 2023, Stainless Steel World witnessed a groundbreaking gathering, with nearly 300 exhibitors hailing from 35 countries converging on a global stage. The event drew over 8,100 visitors from 87 countries, fostering a melting pot of ideas, innovations, and connections. A striking 360+ conference delegates further enriched the experience, creating an unparalleled forum for corrosion and materials experts from across the world.

Exhibition

This year, the exhibition floor was larger than ever, having been expanded to allow a limited increase in exhibitors from the global materials sector. Stainless Steel World is the most focused event for the materials community, with every exhibitor and visitor being involved in the production, supply or use of corrosion resistant materials, and this strong focus is greatly appreciated.

“We’ve been coming to this event since the very beginning. The first few times we came alongside our partners, such as Jindal, but in recent editions we have exhibited by ourselves. We have been incredibly busy these past few days, we’ve had so many visitors to our stand. We have many customers from the south of Europe and from North Africa – we are welcoming those to our stand today. I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best show for the stainless steel industry that I have ever visited – it isn’t overwhelmingly big, and it is totally specific to our sector, so it is really the best place for making good contact with suppliers. It’s the number one show for us.”

– Mr Xavier Gual, President of Gual Steel (Spain)

Conference

Situated on the exhibition floor the conference rooms provided conference delegates and presenters with direct access to the exhibition area before and after sessions. This encouraged plenty of interaction between the many end-users present in the conference and exhibitors. The conference ‘arenas’ made a striking sight at the far end of the hall, illuminated with LED lighting and soundproofed with black curtains suspended from the high ceilings. Inside, the conference kicked off with a welcome from Chairman Mr Willem Maarten van Haaften from Shell, the Netherlands. Commenting on the conference content, he stated: “New topics encompass new challenges, and there is an important role for stainless steels here.”

“The time, expertise and energy of the Steering Committee all contribute to the success of the conference.” ”

– Mr Van Haaften from Shell, the Netherlands.

Focus on sustainability

The second day of the conference was Sustainability Day, and featured topics such as sustainability strategies for future-proof businesses, solutions towards carbon-neutral stainless steel production, and materials engineering challenges of carbon capture and storage. Two technical paper sessions covered the topics of ‘Towards carbon neutral’ and ‘Clean hydrogen’ in depth.

The afternoon was dedicated to the Sustainability Expo Forum, which was open to everyone. To a packed room with standing-room only, invited speakers from Outokumpu, Mannesmann Stainless Tubes, Aperam and Alleima outlined their company’s expertise, insights and experiences with respect to the sustainable production of stainless steel. Hosted in an interview-style format by Editor-in-Chief of Stainless Steel World, Mrs Joanne McIntyre, the Forum explored innovative sustainability initiatives, best practices and the crucial role businesses play in creating a sustainable future.

Event sponsors