The 2024 POSCO Group Tech Forum, a gathering of the company’s top engineers, took place on November 6 at the Grand Auditorium of POSTECH. Marking its return as a large-scale event after five years, the forum highlighted achievements in core business areas such as steelmaking and rechargeable batteries. It also celebrated the innovators who lead the development of future innovative technologies with the prestigious POSCO Technology Awards. Experience the energy and innovation of the 2024 POSCO Group Tech Forum!
A Festival for POSCO Engineers Held Offline for the First Time in 5 Years
Since 1989, POSCO Group has gathered its engineers annually to share achievements in core business technologies and discuss future innovation. Due to the COVID-19, the event had been scaled down or held online in recent years. This year marked a significant milestone as the 36th Tech Forum was held offline for the first time in five years, bringing POSCO employees together.
Ahead of the main event, the Grand Auditorium at POSTECH hosted exhibitions showcasing POSCO Group’s outstanding technological achievements. Visitors explored cutting-edge technological achievements including Digital Transformation (DX) innovations that will lead next-generation business, POSCO’s hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology (HyREX), and processes for producing brine-based lithium in Argentina, along with recycling solutions. These highlights showcased the company’s leadership in steel and rechargeable battery materials.
2024 POSCO Group Tech Forum : A Gathering of 1,200 Engineers
The 2024 POSCO Group Tech Forum kicked off at POSTECH’s Grand Auditorium with 1,200 POSCO employees. The tech forum, hosted by two employees from the group, was attended by key leaders including POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang, POSCO President Si-woo Lee, POSCO Holdings CTO Ki-soo Kim, POSCO E&C President Jung-son Chon, and POSCO Future M President Byeong-og Yoo, along with POSCO engineers.
To mark its return after a five-year hiatus, the event opened with congratulatory messages from global partners. Chief technology officers (CTOs) from leading steelmakers and customers such as ArcelorMittal, China Baowu Steel Group, and LG Energy Solution wished for the successful hosting of the forum in video messages.
▲POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang is giving the opening remarks at the 36th POSCO Group Tech Forum.
In his opening remarks, Chairman In-hwa Chang highlighted POSCO Group’s legacy of innovation. “POSCO has always found breakthroughs with innovative technology development,” he said, and encouraged the employees to embrace challenges. “Despite global uncertainties and the difficulties we face, we will turn crises into opportunities through innovation toward becoming world-class.”
Simon Farry of Australian Raw Materials Firm Charts Path to
Steel Industry’s Carbon Neutrality
As a critical player in promoting carbon neutrality in the steel industry, raw materials suppliers are vital. POSCO Group has maintained a strong partnership with Rio Tinto for more than 50 years, beginning in 1973. Simon Farry’s presentation, “Global Strategies of Raw Material Companies for Carbon Neutrality and Collaboration with Steelmakers,” underscored the importance of collective efforts between raw materials suppliers and steelmakers.
“We are delighted to be POSCO’s partner in promoting decarbonization,” Farry said. He reaffirmed Rio Tinto’s commitment to supporting POSCO Group’s carbon neutrality initiatives. In his speech, Farry said that carbon neutrality cannot be achieved in isolation, and emphasized the necessity of collaboration between steel producers and raw material suppliers.
Following the keynote speech, a Q&A session was hosted by Ki-soo Kim, CTO of POSCO Holdings. During the session, Kim showed a copy of the first contract signed between POSCO and Rio Tinto and expressed gratitude for their enduring partnership, saying, “At the time, POSCO had very few resources, yet you provided us with raw materials.”
▲ In the Q&A session, POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang is asking a question to Simon Parry, a carbon neutral executive at Rio Tinto.
In response to a question about hydrogen-based steelmaking, Farry replied that shaft furnaces based on natural gas are a proven technology, but securing high-grade iron ore will be critical due to significant impurities. Since pellet production is cost-intensive, fluidized bed reduction technology for mid- to low-grade iron ore will play an important role. He also noted the potential cost-saving benefits of Korea’s hydrogen steelmaking process.
Developing Future Innovation Technologies with Creative Challenges
2024 POSCO Technology Awards
A highlight of the 2024 POSCO Group Tech Forum was the POSCO Technology Awards, which recognizes employees who have achieved groundbreaking technological advances through collaboration among customers, engineers, researchers, and small enterprises. This year, a total of 14 teams were honored: Innovation Award (two teams), Creativity Award (four teams), Leap Award (three teams), Challenge Award (three teams), and O&C Award (two teams).
▲ The Gwangyang works Steelmaking Department team won the grand prize, the ‘Innovation Award’, at the ‘2024 POSCO Technology Awards’ (Fifth from the left, In-hwa Chang, Chairman of POSCO Group)
The Innovation Award grand prize, with a cash prize of KRW 100 million, was awarded to Deputy Manager Kwan-hyeong Kim of Gwangyang works Steelmaking Department and his team of nine for developing Digital Twin-enabled One-Touch Converter Operation Automation Technology. This breakthrough fully automates the traditional manual steelmaking process that relies on an operator by integrating AI models and vision measurement technologies. It received high praise for significantly enhancing productivity by incorporating AI and robotics into an intelligent factory setup. Following the awards, four recipients took the stage for Tech Talk and shared the motivation behind the development and the expected impact of their innovations.
‘Tech Sessions’ Finding Ideas in Collaboration
The 2024 Tech Forum also hosted 26 dynamic Tech Sessions that brought employees and executives together to collaboratively explore practical technological solutions. A new highlight this year was the introduction of the Special Issues Forum focusing on securing technological competitiveness in key areas such as low-carbon steelmaking (HyREX, hydrogen reduction steelmaking) and rechargeable battery materials (recycling). Expert discussions on these critical themes added to the vibrancy of the event.
▲In-hwa Chang, Chairman of POSCO Group, and employees of the steelmaking department of Gwangyang Works who received the ‘Innovation Award’ are taking a commemorative photo.
The 2024 POSCO Tech Forum was a meaningful convergence of the Group’s innovative technologies and global vision. POSCO employees will continue to take strong steps toward groundbreaking innovation. Stay tuned for more exciting developments and lend your support to their journey!