SEE ALSO: Ask an Expert: Electric Vehicles and the Future of the Automotive Market

However, implementing autonomous transportation systems is no easy task, from perfecting the technology to sorting out legal matters. Take a look at these 6 early-adapting cities around the world that have embarked on the road to driverless transportation systems.

Singapore

Last year, the city-state became the first in the world to launch an automated taxi service. While many companies such as Uber have been testing driverless taxi systems, no one has launched a working model yet. Singapore’s autonomous taxi service launched by nuTonomy only has six cars, but the company has plans to have a full fleet of driverless taxis on Singapore roads by 2018. For now, the fleet consists of modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics that have an emergency driver at the wheel and researchers who ride in the back to gather data. The service is expected to drastically reduce the number of vehicles on Singapore’s congested roads.

Singapore is the first city in the world to have a running autonomous taxi service. (Source: Auto Evolution)

Los Angeles

After much delay, city officials finally made it legal to test driverless vehicles in L.A. this year, and by 2020, the city could have fully autonomous vehicles operating on its roads. So far, 43 companies such as General Motors, Apple and Uber have testing permits in California, which means that a driver must be at the wheel, prepared to take over in case of an emergency. The Department of Motor Vehicles will finalize the rules and regulations surrounding autonomous vehicle testing in 2018. Autonomous transportation is a sector that will continue to generate much investment, and L.A. was already losing business to other cities in the U.S. due to its regulatory restrictions. With the new guidelines in place, the city can expect to be bustling with startup activity and innovative solutions to its transportation challenges.

For now, L.A. law requires drivers at the wheel of every autonomous vehicle. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Munich

Germany is home to the most advanced automakers in the world, and in August 2017, German lawmakers drew up the guidelines for operating autonomous vehicles. Under the new guidelines, all autonomous vehicle software must be programmed in such a way that human life will be protected at any cost, over animals and property. Germany’s Transportation Ministry is the first in the world to draw up such guidelines for automated driving, and wide-implementation of autonomous transportation is expected to follow, starting with Munich.

Munich Airport now provides autonomous shuttle services between Terminal 2 and a satellite facility. (Source: Bombardier)

Recently, Munich Airport launched an autonomous shuttle service that links Terminal 2 to a new infield satellite facility with an underground train. The trains are called INNOVIA Automated People Mover (APM) 300 and were built by Bombardier. The train tunnel is 382 meters and will have the capacity to move 10,900 passengers every hour in either direction.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is another early-adapting city with plans to have autonomous transportation up and running throughout the entire city. However, the city’s first attempt at automated transportation ended badly when their automated shuttle bus collided with a semi-truck less than 2 hours after its debut. The cause of the accident was a delivery truck that backed into the bus. The shuttle was equipped with LiDAR sensors to map the roads. It was also fitted with cameras to identify obstacles on its path, and GPS locators for operators to locate the shuttle’s location. Despite the advanced systems, the city learned the hard way it cannot control what others do on the roads.

The truck hit the autonomous bus that didn’t have the ability to reverse. (Source: MBTMag)

China’s Zhuzhou City

Many good things are happening in China in terms of autonomous transportation. Recently in Zhuzhou, an autonomous, caterpillar-like bus was spotted. The Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), was developed by CCRC, a Beijing-based company that deals with the supply of rail transit equipment. It moves along Zhuzhou roads via sensors and can travel up to 70km per hour on its electric batteries and is expected to cut carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion.

The ART looks like a cross between a bus and a train and glides through the city using sensors. (Source: Curbed)

London

In September, the UK’s first driverless bus was tested in London’s Olympic Park. Interestingly, residents, visitors and tourists were invited to take part in the test runs throughout the month of September, free of charge. Like other autonomous buses, this electric bus navigates the roads via sensors, cameras and GPS maps. So far, the tests have been successful and the city hopes to implement the buses throughout the city in the near future. Take a look at some of the initial reactions.

Going into 2018, companies such as Uber, General Motors and BMW are expected to continue investing in autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing services. As more and more cities fine-tune their regulations and guidelines surrounding such modes of transportation, the world should see driverless transportation options pop up in more places, with fewer errors, providing more sustainable transportation systems.

Cover photo courtesy of Business Insider. 

Today, the four most common materials used in race bikes are steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber. The most common on the Tour are carbon fiber bikes that can range from USD 10,000~20,000 in retail price; that’s before adding the thousands of dollars worth of additional gear. The majority of competitive cyclists is not sponsored by a major bike company and cannot afford high-end bikes. Additionally, market conditions and the changing landscape of the racing industry could have manufacturers looking for alternatives.

The Race Bicycle Market

Michael O.B. Krähe analyzed the road race bicycle market trend for 2017 and beyond by looking at data from the Festive 500 Challenge on Strava, a widely-used application for tracking race times and training. In 2016, 83,000 challengers from all over the world attempted to ride 500 kilometers between Christmas and New Year’s Day, thus providing a rough but insightful representation of the global market for race bicycles.

In 2016, there was a 14% increase in the number of participants, much less than the 49% in 2015 and 54% in 2014. On the other hand, 32% more challengers completed the 500 kilometers in 2016. There was actually a decrease in the number of participants from the U.S. and Germany, two major markets for race bikes.  

Cyclists take a break from cycling

Krähe also looked into Jedermann Rennen (JDR) races in Germany, to account for cyclists who do not race or train during the winter season of the Festive 500 Challenge. The JDR, or “everyman’s race”, is an amateur version of a professional race held on the same day and route as the main event, kind of like the pro-am of golf. There was an average of 15% to 25% decline in the number of participants in JDRs from 2011 to 2016. Of those participants, more than 60% were over 40 years old and a mere 10% under 30 years old.  

The number of participants in three different JDR races from 2011-2016 (Photo courtesy of Cycling.com)

Recent changes only made things worse – there were 250,000 unsold bikes at the end of 2015, up 44% from the year before. It led to discounted prices in 2016. Then, at the end of 2016, the UCI (governing body of professional cycling) banned disc brakes, a popular feature on almost every race bike. This announcement came late when sponsoring companies were already finalizing their 2018-19 products, all with disc brakes. UCI article 1.3.007 requires all bikes used in competition to be commercially available, which could lead to another overstock of race bikes.

Bikes are placed on racks for display in a retail store

What does this mean for the race bike market?

Prices will have to drop along with the decrease in demand for race bikes. However, high performance will still be expected from race bikes by the long-time cyclists who become more devoted to the sport over time. A low-cost, well performing, and easy-maintenance bike will be the future of race bicycles.

It’s time for manufacturers to revisit the drawing board for race bikes.  

The Big Four

Most teams on the Tour de France are riding carbon fiber bicycles. Much credit is owed to Lance Armstrong who was the first Tour rider to win on a bike with carbon fiber frames. Though stripped of his seven titles as of 2012 due to doping accusations, his initial win unleashed the age of carbon fiber race bikes. The following years coupled light-weight carbon fiber with advanced technology for an outright dominance of carbon fiber frames in professional cycling.

Nonetheless, before there was carbon, there was steel, and aluminum and titanium.

From its advent to the 1970s, bicycles traditionally had steel frames, known for its strength, durability, and affordability. In the ‘70s to the ‘80s, manufacturers began turning to aluminum frames in the general wave of efforts to lightweight race bikes. To add, aluminum frames are easy to manufacture and corrosion-resistant. Titanium frames are also popular for its lightweight and durability, but it never completely dominated the market due to high costs and difficulties in manufacturing. Then came carbon and it took off.

The problem is that the technique to manufacture carbon fiber frames is high-end. Not only in its price, but if precise technology is not applied, riders will get little or none of the benefits of carbon fiber (high stiffness to weight ratio, lightweight, low thermal expansion, the ability to customize, etc.). Thus, there are few people who can actually repair carbon fiber bikes correctly, whereas any local shop can repair a steel model. Moreover, carbon fiber is non-recyclable, unlike steel which can be melted down and re-used in other ways. The UCI has also set the minimum weight requirement of race bikes at 6.8 kilograms, and non-carbon bikes can now be built down to the minimum weight.

Carbon fiber frames are also known for its bespoke qualities. Aluminum is very hard to tailor, but there is a new wave of bespoke frame workers who are choosing steel for its cost, durability, and moldability. Major brands Columbus and Reynolds are also returning to steel with their new stainless steel tubes that are light and stiff enough to give carbon fiber a run for its money.

Although the market for race bicycles is looking stagnant, this does not apply to the bike market as a whole, including transportation and leisure bikes. In fact, this market is projected to grow over the coming years according to Lucintel, a global research firm, which projected the global bicycle market to reach 59.9 billion U.S. dollars by 2021. The growth is calculated upon the cost-friendly, efficient and environmentally sustainable method of transportation bikes will provide. Steel bikes will be a driving force in this growth as well, for its affordable and sustainable qualities, ensuring it will always be in the game.  

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon is seen firing up Pohang Blast Furnace No. 3 at the ceremony held on June 6 in Pohang, Korea

Renovations for the blast furnace began on February 24 when POSCO added automated monitoring technology to control the internal state of the blast furnace, a measure expected to help forecast and extend its lifespan. This led POSCO to develop an infrastructure that utilizes artificial intelligence and collect big data from early stages of operation, bringing it one step closer to becoming a “smart blast furnace.”  

Distinguished guests, including POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon, are seen powering on the blower switch in the operating room of Pohang Blast Furnace No. 3

In addition to incorporating smart technology, the internal volume of Pohang Blast Furnace No. 3 was expanded from 4350㎥ to 5600㎥, making it the 5th largest in the world, with a capacity to produce 15,000 tons of molten steel in a single day. POSCO now operates 5 of the 14 super-sized blast furnaces in the world, including the world’s largest Gwangyang Blast Furnace No. 1 (6000㎥), Pohang Blast Furnaces No. 3 and 4 (5600㎥) and Gwangyang Blast Furnaces No. 4 and 5 (5500㎥). The remaining blast furnaces are in Japan (four), China (three), Russia (one), and Germany (one).

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today. 

SIEMENS is a digital company where “all production processes are optimally integrated and controlled by IT.” Its plant in Amberg is a model smart factory thanks to its 1,000 sensors used to connect its IOT technology that makes it possible to check for abnormalities at each stage of the production process. These sensors can also stop the production line if any defective products are found and replace them with new ones. Also, with the ability to analyze 50 million pieces of process information per day, SIEMENS is continuously optimizing its production processes to ensure the lowest possible rate of defects.

GE is slowly shifting to a software company by combining new IT with its traditional manufacturing processes for aviation engines and power turbines. Recently, the company built digital ecosystems into its factories by bringing in software specialists, creating a digitalization department, and developing diagnostic programs. Similar to POSCO, GE’s power generation turbine plant in Greenville is on its way to being converted into a smart factory. GE also recently opened the Advanced Manufacturing Works (AMW) facility, a space that freely allows engineers to test out new manufacturing ideas.

At POSCO, ever since forming the Smart Solution Council in 2016, they have been integrating ICT into their core businesses – steel, construction, and energy – which has had a significant impact in transforming Korea’s manufacturing industry in the process. In its smart factories, POSCO takes 50 years of manufacturing expertise and combines it with IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence technology to produce and supply high-quality products in an economical fashion.

POSCO’s steel plate factory at Gwangyang Works has transformed its integrated production process by building a data integration infrastructure that encompasses all of its operations and facilities. It has also created a data pre-analysis system that can preemptively detect abnormalities. In addition, they have installed laser sensors with AI functionality on the second hot rolling mill at Pohang Works.

Kwon plans to continue developing new businesses under the “Smart Industry” label. Through close cooperation with POSCO’s major affiliates such as POSCO E&C, POSCO Energy, and POSCO ICT, Kwon ultimately aims to reorganize POSCO’s entire business structure by cultivating several sectors that all embrace smart technology (Smart Factory, Smart Buildings & Cities, and Smart Energy).

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today. 

Jeremy Rifkin, the author of “The Third Industrial Revolution”, published in 2011, composed the overarching idea of an industrial revolution. Rifkin analyzed the first Industrial Revolution, which took place in the 19th century, as a phenomenon which resulted in an economic revival led the collaboration of coal and steam engines and communication methods, such as print. He also took apart the second major industrial revolution in the 20th century, accounting it for being responsible for the rapid economic growth that occurred from the combination of oil resources and electric power with other kinds of communication methods, telephones and televisions.

However, in the 21st century, with the reindustrialization of China and a spike in oil prices, Rifkin wrote about the end of the era of oil energy, mentioning the limitations of fossil fuels in leading another dramatic economic growth.

Rifkin diagnosed a change in the economic paradigm to new energy systems, such as solar and wind power energy. He also asserted that the 21st century economy will spark the third industrial revolution, dominated by a new system, which involves communicating through the internet based on bio-energy.

When the industry evolves to become an IoT-based smart factory and combines operation stages, such as product development, production, and distribution – ICT can innovate productivity, quality, production cost and even customer satisfaction, which possibly could lead to another economic revival. According to Jeremy Rifkin’s standard of classifying an industrial revolution, the fourth industrial revolution can be included to become a part of the third industrial revolution.

The World’s Industrial Revolution

The Ministry of Education and Science in Germany strived to seek for an innovative industrial output system that could solve the country’s current issues: overcome small businesses gradually losing competitiveness, cope with the revival of the United States’ cutting-edge manufacturing and chase China’s emerging capabilities of manufacturing. As a result, it came up with a new concept called “Industrie 4.0”. Germany adopted the idea as a national industrial strategy.

“Industrie 4.0” uses a cyber-physics linked system that enables an industrial facility’s digital factories and automatic factories to share every piece of operating data and predict the optimal operating condition.

This new concept of a smart factory system has gained the attention of many experts, and also became the model of the predicted fourth industrial revolution in this year’s Davos Forum. Klaus Schewab, the executive chairman of The World Economic Forum, asserted that when Germany’s “Industrie 4.0” model’s artificial intelligence is combined with genetic engineering, the basis of industry will change into an entirely different form, which will trigger the fourth industrial revolution.

Aside from this, the United States’ General Electric (GE) has started providing facility management services to their clients by installing sensors on the industrial facilities they produce, and have developed industrial internet technology to monitor and manage its facilities’ status in real time. This system allowed manufacturing businesses to become more than just a facility producer and provide a service that analyzes the existing conditions of facilities.

As the concept of smart factory system that adopted GE’s industrial internet technology and Germany’s cyber-physical system received a remark as an innovative case in manufacturing business, every government is starting to emulate such concept as their strategy to future industry.

Although the technology to automatically adjust facilities according to a product’s demand variation is commonly shown in cutting edge manufacturing factories, most of them are focused on mass production. When the quantity of the order is small, the production facilities’ conditions change and replacement of the components occurs frequently. Even the condition of the ingredient changes. This will lead to an increase in cost and a decrease in productivity.

Changing the quantity of production does not solve the problem, however. From receiving orders, raw material supply and demand, adjusting the facilities at each step, distribution within the factory to the supply chain – every step has to change according to the kinds and quantity of the products. Each stage has to share data to find the best production settings and minimize the possibility of error.

As the market evolved into the direction to provide personalized products for each customer, the industrial world faced a difficult task of selecting smart factories with flexible production systems.

POSCO’s Smart Factory

It is easy to imagine that the steel industry, which is classified as a sub-industry, will follow the traditional manufacturing method. However, the steel manufacturing process has been filled with equipment that continuously produces products in high-temperature and high-pressure environments, and has applied automatic operation methods from early on. The workers who were once in danger of working too closely to the equipment are now in charge of monitoring the operation of these facilities.

POSCO is already planning to turn the whole steel production process into a 21st century smart factory, and plans to complete a project that will convert all fields of equipment, quality, energy and safety management into the new system by 2017.

Smart Factory, a futuristic steelmaking process pursued by POSCO, is a factory that collects data in real time through an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor installed at factory facilities that operates autonomously. The collected data can be used for real time diagnoses and forecasts of the facility’s conditions, thereby maintaining a stable operating environment and also extending equipment life.

When the POSCO Smart Factory is realized, the facility management department will be able to analyze the facility’s information, such as sensor information, inspections, repairs and faults in the integrated center. Through a smart sensor that can check the operation status of the facility in real time, thus extending the service life by predicting and taking measures in advance. The worker wears wearable equipment to receive drawing information, and carries out the disassembly and assembly procedures of the equipment, so that perfect maintenance is possible.

In the production management sector, production is automatically determined by an unmanned intelligence system that analyzes field conditions such as quality, energy, and environment, separate from the production methods that depend on expert experience. Thus, by integrating an analysis of equipment-material-quality data and deriving the optimum operation pattern, it is possible to improve production efficiency and quality in sub-unit work.

In the quality management department, real time quality control is possible by monitoring all production processes. Because it is a continuous process that cannot be interrupted, it collects and analyzes factors such as equipment noise, vibration and temperature affecting the current quality to predict the possibility of failure. It also foresees the working conditions of the downstream process to prevent quality defects.

In the logistics management department, it will be possible to automate the entire process of transporting and storing materials and products within the production plant. From the unloading of materials to be imported, and thereby improving the efficiency of logistics management, the process will improve productivity and play a role in reducing costs. In addition, POSCO has built an automatic product recognition system to monitor the entry and exit management of products, until they are shipped from the factory and finally reach the distribution bases and customer warehouses.

In the environment and energy sector, harmful substances such as dust, sulfur and nitrogen compounds that are generated in factories are completely removed by a high-plasma method, and an eco-friendly plant is implemented. By analyzing energy consumption by plants and specific processes, POSCO aims to apply the optimal energy usage pattern.

The smart factory system also enhances safety standards. The safety management system automatically identifies workers approaching dangerous areas and prevents accidents by warning them in advance, recognizing life-threatening situations such as fires, explosions and gas leaks through sensors or CCTV images attached to the facilities.

In the facility engineering department, we can create a digital virtual factory for each plant and simulate the equipment and operation changes like the actual factory. This optimizes product design and saves costs and time by analyzing and customizing a new facility’s performance beforehand. Various kinds of test operations can be attempted at a virtual factory, so finding the optimal production condition for the actual factories will be one of its crucial advantages.

The smart factory that POSCO pursues is a state-of-the-art 21st century factory model incorporating all forms of innovations, including: IoT, Big Data, computer simulation, advanced robots, augmented reality, cyber security, integration of production and management systems and artificial intelligence. It can serve as a model for upcoming smart factories that will eventually appear in the steel industry, as well as in other industries all over the world. Because of its transformation into a smart factory, POSCO is expected to play an active role as an industry leader in pioneering future civilizations as it constantly keeps producing new steel products that provide new value.

Written by science technology columnist Dr. Junjeong Lee

The opinions expressed in this POSCO Report piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of POSCO.

The whole world is going through a severe climate change, even breaking the highest temperature record in history. The concentration of carbon dioxide measured in Hawaii at a high altitude is now above 407ppm.

The United States Government has announced a supporting policy that highly induces photovoltaic (PV) energy usage among the whole land. The government has set up a goal to have 1 giga-watt per PV amount for low-income houses built with federal government subsidies by 2020. This goal has been increased to 10 times of what the president Obama initially tried to build for ‘The Climate Action Plan’. The reasons that are strongly urging this plan is to decrease the energy levels of low-income households and to increase the number of available jobs.

And it’s not just the U.S. The whole world has reached the record of increasing the total amount of bioenergy by 147 GW in 2015. 173 nations have determined the initial goal amounts of bioenergy, and 146 nations are currently executing the terms of the bioenergy supporting policy. The bioenergy is now economically efficient enough to compete with fossil fuel, and Germany has set up goals to have over 50% of total power production to come from bioenergy. The current plan is to increase the PV generating unit by 6~7 GW through replacing old equipment and other steps.

Even though Germany usually has less sunshine than Korea because of its lower latitude, the PV generating unit reaches almost 35% of its total output during sunny weekdays and 50% during weekends. Germany is a sunlight generating country, with a 40 GW PV generating unit and a 1.5 million PV generating unit within its limits, based on records from late 2015.

It is now a trend to make ‘100% bioenergy’-run cities, communities, and companies all over the world. Developed countries are not the only ones trying to strengthen financial support for establishing ‘bioenergy’ supplies, overcome their energy security initiative and current environmental problems; developing countries also are working towards addressing these issues. An interesting point about this trend is the associated time period of inexpensive fossil fuel.

Reasons for Solar Energy Becoming Popular

The two types of bioenergy that could be applicable for commercial use are wind energy and solar energy. Wind energy should be used in an area with wind speed that is at least 5~6m/sec, and because of noise pollution, wind energy tends to be used in offshore wind parks.

However, since building solar energy outlets is not costly and is able to be installed on any type of land, it is rapidly spreading.

A solar battery that is commonly used is the PN junction, an N-type semiconductor that spreads phosphorus, superimposed on P-type semiconductors with boron added to high-silicon single crystal. When the sun shines on the solar battery, the electron can freely move through its intended opening by the energy that sun possesses. The electron then leans on the surface of the N-type semiconductor and the hole on the P-type semiconductor. Therefore, the voltage differentiation from the upper and lower surfaces of the solar battery creates an electric current. Then, the accumulated current turns into electricity.

The PV generating unit continues to work by generating electricity until the sun shines, so future produced energy will be developed into solar energy, which produces the infinite resource.

There are already more cases regarding 100 kilo-watt electricity sources being produced by installing PV panels on available spaces, such as large parking lots, reclaimed land, or the roofs of factories. For detached houses, 3kW electricity can be produced on the roof, and apartments can produce 250~500W of electricity using the lower space of windows near back porches.

In the future, if Energy Storage System (ESS) and PV-developing districts can be combined, some sources of thermal and nuclear power could be replaced because a new stable electric power supply will be available without a constant amount of sunlight generation.

Outstanding Steel Technology Needed for Creation of Sunlight Generating Unit

Boryung Dam Water Solar Power Plants constructed from PosMAC, a corrosion-resistant alloy from POSCO.

The life of PV generating units that produce solar energy is around 25~30 years. Therefore, the durability of the equipment is very important. The costs of PV generating units can be divided between solar modules, solar inverters, unit structures and construction. The solar module and inverter makes up 50% of the cost, and the construction fee makes up for the remaining 50%.

The most important part of solar modules is their effectiveness. A module produced from high-silicon single crystal should be selected, and the rated output within 12 years will be 90%, while the rated output within 25 years will be 80%. The construction should be able to withstand the load and stress from severe natural disasters, including rapid temperature change or storms, and should not deteriorate or corrode even with long-time exposure to the sun.

The strongest construction of solar power plants uses weatherproof and corrosion-resistant surface preparation steel sheets. POSCO, especially, is lowering the cost of construction by developing various steel machinery and fixtures to create PV panels more easily. Solar generating units can build their competitiveness as a future energy source with the support of outstanding steel technology.

Written by science technology columnist Dr. Junjeong Lee

The opinions expressed in this POSCO Report piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of POSCO.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

What’s POSTIM?
POSTIM is an innovative model developed by POSCO and applied in August 2014 to achieve the corporate vision of `POSCO the Great’. At the event, participants looked back on the efforts and traces of POSCO Family to implement `POSCO the Great`, and shared the progress results and best practices from POSTIM, which spans PWS (PJT-based Working System), QSS+ (Quick Six Sigma plus), and SWP (Smart Work Place). In addition, through the `Contest for an Excellent Project Idea`, they shared creative ideas from the shop-floor that can contribute to improving profitability, with a special awards ceremony to recognize the most promising ideas.

PWS (PJT-based Working System)
Many global companies such as Google, GE, 3M and more, are practicing various projects as they consider projects to be the key to efficiency. Through ‘Innovation POSCO 1.0’, POSCO has drawn a number of lucrative projects in each corresponding sector of production, sales, research, finance, new business and management support. By creating exclusive teams and members for projects, POSCO provided an optimal circumstance where project participants could concentrate on their tasks.

QSS+ (Quick Six Sigma plus) 
Ever since its completion in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco carries a hundred thousand cars every day without facing any problem. Such durability is achieved by annual maintenance activities and recovery with adequate investments.

With 24-hour operating facilities older than two decades, POSCO also requires consistent management and investment in order to maintain its competitive edges. Accordingly, POSCO developed QSS+, innovative activities compatible for steel mills and has been strengthening its facilities in pursuance of a safe working environment. As POSCO deploys customized innovative activities by upgrading its core facilities, QSS+ plans are expanding with a plant manager’s lead. As QSS+ plans are settled, plants go through a major reconstruction or plan an independent activity that is appropriate to each department’s characteristic.

SWP (Smart Work Place)
From winning the 2014 UEFA Championship and 2014 World cup championship, Germany’s football teams are leading the paths of the world football. Behind such achievements, there were IT infrastructure and leadership that created positive atmosphere to the players.

Meanwhile, POSCO also embodies SWP (Smart Work Place) that promotes employees’ involvements through convenient IT infrastructure, advanced working method, and sharing gratitude. With the spread of mobile reporting system, working process has been expedited and video conference allowed meetings without limitations to time and space. Moreover, employees are using smart notes to immediately respond to client’s request and inconveniences on site. Improvements in reporting system extended task immersion and simplification in HR, training and innovation system also boosted employees’ focus on their accounts.

IP Festival 2014 Event Sketch
At the ‘IP Festival 2014’, executives and employees shared the outcomes and best practices from POSTIM. Groups and individuals who have displayed outstanding performance throughout the year were awarded at the event.

• Groups and individuals who had excellent project performance received awards

• Best cases of projects were introduced at the event

Let’s see what other interesting activities were shared at the IP Festival 2014!

• Employees are participating in a performance that they prepared during the break times

• Employees engaged in performances that induced participation in between each session

If one thinks “working in the steel industry would be boring and stiff as steel”, then he/she is hugely mistaken. In an attempt to eliminate any prejudices similar to this, World Steel Association (worldsteel) launched #Lovesteel Campaign in September 2013. In a form of a series, the campaign illustrates short interviews of young employees and their passions and love toward the steel industry. Furthermore, #Lovesteel Campaign presents how starting a career in steel industry can be indeed exciting and attractive despite the common misconceptions toward the industry.

Whether you are a potential employee considering working in the steel industry or a current employee seeking to build up the career, #Lovesteel Campaign is an excellent source of information and opportunities not to be missed! 

#Lovesteel’s 14^th Participant Company, POSCO

Thirteen companies have been participating in #Lovesteel Campaign since the initial launch in September 2013. POSCO became the 14^th company to join the campaign. Let’s look into episodes of #Lovesteel Campaign POSCO!

1.        Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your job?

My name is Yerim Kim, I’m working in Investor Relations at POSCO. My job is to understand the company’s strategy and business activities in order to find a way to convey these effectively to our investors worldwide. So I have to be aware and stay keen on the events that are going on in-house and also the events that are going on outside the company.

2.        How did your education and experience lead to this job?

I majored in both English literature and business and I always wanted to work in a field where I could make use of both of my academic backgrounds. I got to know the company while working in a previous job in media. I love the idea of the company and its willingness to move forward, so I always wanted to be involved. And as a result, I have ended up in here now.

3.        What do you most like about your job?

The best part of my job is that I get to meet a wide range of people: they’re from all over the world and from different backgrounds but their main interest is the same: it’s about POSCO. So in my work, I get to fulfill their interests and their inquiries. I also get a chance to know my company better, which is very rewarding.

4.        What has most surprised you about the steel industry? 

The most surprising thing about the industry is that it covers a wide spectrum of businesses. In order to understand the dynamics of the steel industry, you have to understand the trend of raw materials, and the trend of demand industries such as automobile and ship-building. So while following all the economic trends, you also get to obtain broader perspectives in global business.

5.        What do you love about steel?

What I love about steel is its availability. You find it every day in your life around you, for example in bicycles, steel products, and even this building where we’re standing in right now. So I get to find inspiration to my work all around me. If you’re looking for something dynamic, steel will be your answer.

Meet other young people in steel field with #Lovesteel videos

You can take a look at more young workers’ stories here.

What is SkyCube? 

SkyCube will provide an accessible means of transportation to experience the great natural surroundings found in Suncheon. Suncheon Eco Trans’ SkyCube was made possible through investments between POSCO and Suncheon City’s Private Enterprise Investment Agreement. As the nation’s first PRT, it is a big deal. SkyCube runs for 4.64 km from Suncheon’s Dream Bridge to Suncheon’s Literature Center. The path that it runs is surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Suncheon.

Pictured here: PRT car passing through the track

SkyCube has a total of 40 cubicles and is a unique system in that it allows the surrounding environment to be preserved. The implications of these benefits may prove to be beneficial for transportation systems built in the future.

Reasons to Visit Suncheon

 Pictured here: PRT routes in Suncheon that preserve the natural environment

Suncheon is a unique wetland ecosystem that needs to be preserved as much as possible. SkyCube passengers can enjoy superb views of Suncheon. The area in which SkyCube runs is a vast natural wetlands area with 120 native marsh plants and over 240 species of migratory birds. It is currently registered within the Ramsar Convention which is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. In 2006, the Korean Tourism Organization selected Suncheon as one of the top 5 wetlands in the world.

Pictured here: Suncheon Bay Garden (Photo from http://bit.ly/PJSJTB)

Besides, Suncheon Bay Garden, which opened on April 20, became a landmark after successfully completing the very first Korean garden festival, ‘Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013’. Suncheon Bay Garden consists of Cypress Forest and Autumn Tint Path and more, divided into sections in accordance to the tree species and features various themed attractions such as Meditation Path and Meditation Place. While there are many places to visit throughout the Korean peninsula, many people recommend the ‘ecological tourist travel course’ in Suncheon.  

Pictured here: Suncheon Eco Trans opening ceremony

What is the Significance of SkyCube?

In January 2011, POSCO and Suncheon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the basis of jointly developing technology for the nation’s unique state-of-the-art transportation system. A test track was set up in Sweden and the system performance was verified to meet the safety requirements of northern Europe. The culmination of these efforts was precisely “SkyCube”.

 Pictured here: Beautiful natural scenery as scene from the PRT

The technology behind SkyCube is more economical compared to former technologies as the train can be controlled 24 hours without human involvement. With the same transportation capabilities, PRT are more cost-efficient in terms of construction as well as operating costs. SkyCube advantage is it is an eco-friendly solution since the PRT system runs on electric energy 100% and therefore does not generate exhaust emissions.

Moreover, polyurethane coated wheels were used in lieu of steel wheels in order to reduce noise and preserve the natural environment.

For these reasons, this state-of-the-art transportation technology seamlessly fits in with the natural ecosystem.

Pictured here: Internal arrangement of the PRT which is being seen as the future for eco-friendly transportation

The Advantages of the PRT System

Pictured here: PRT cars waiting at a station

PRT is an ecofriendly alternative to the regular public transport system. The system covers all necessary elements for the best green transportation solution including punctuality, safety, reliability, accessibility and privacy. Installation and operation is possible even in urban areas and short interval stops, with distance of 1 to 2 minutes, is achievable.

Unlike existing public transportation that runs on predetermined timetables, PRT runs based on passenger needs. At times when there are not many passengers, empty cars will wait before passing through stops and during rush hours, nearby cars will be called to meet service needs. Passengers do not need to wait over one minute for the PRT. Like taxis, passengers can get on the PRT and travel to their final destination without making stops in between. Passengers can have their privacy and travel within efficient timeframes.

System installation costs about 1/10^th of the cost it takes to build subway systems. They are also 1/3^rd the cost of light rail train systems and capacity is about the same. Because operation of PRT is automatic, cost efficiency is high and costs can be further reduced if cars are not operated when there are no passengers. PRT is an advantageous solution for development of new cities or new routes or advancements to existing routes.

Capable of being constructed with 90cm of concrete, 60cm of steel, the PRT tracks have the flexibility to be installed on main roads as well as sharp curves.

Pictured here: SkyCube passing through a station

Foreign PRT Systems

First developed in the 1970s, a small track rail system for 20 people was developed at Morgantown West Virginia University. PRT (Personal Rapid Transition) and GRT (Group Rapid Transition) were used as routes to connect the college campus with the city.

This was followed by further developments in Japan, France and Germany. Of these, the Cabintaxi developed in Hamburg, Germany, was the most advanced. The Cabintaxi developed in 1970 was in commercialization stage in 1980 however due to German government budget issues, the full development was postponed indefinitely.

By 1990, the PRT was a step closer to becoming fully commercial, but was not readily available still. Many studies were in place, however many were stopped. Systems under current operation were ULTra in England and 2getthere in Netherlands.

Thus, SkyCube is a superior operating system that supplies electricity to the track by using a third rail. In addition, compared to competing systems, it has already received safety system certification and is recognized in the world market for excellence and responsiveness.

Each drawing in the exhibition had its own story. There were images of a child riding a bicycle with her dad, hanging around with their friends and their parents’ workplace; QPSS. Our young painters must have input so much thoughts and efforts in their paintings. If you were there, you would have felt their innocence and playfulness showing in the lovely works.

A sticker was given to the QPSS employees who visited the scene so they could pick the artwork they liked the most. Once the vote was over, QPSS held an awarding ceremony to congratulate the winners of the exhibition. Let’s take a look at some of the excellent artworks.

Manager Ha Jae-chul, who has been working in QPSS, shared his review on the exhibition with ‘Hello, POSCO.’ He said, “It was interesting to see my colleagues’ daily lives in the children’s pictures. Because their partings were so lovely, we all had a very enjoyable moment.” I believe our ‘Hello, POSCO’ readers would also be feeling the same way with the adorable and warmhearted minds of the little kids.

Actually, there is a story behind how the exhibition was held at QPSS. To celebrate China’s Children’s Day on June 1st, QPSS prepared special gifts for the employees with kids. The present was a box of colored pencils and a sketchbook, providing them with the space to draw their creative thoughts and delightful dreams. Needless to say, the children absolutely fell in for the presents and in return, gave QPSS their wonderful pieces of artwork.

Have you decided which drawing you want to put your sticker on? Let’s find some peace of minds by staring at these loveable images. Who knows? It could remind you of the happiness and innocence when you were young.