steelChallenge-18 Regional Champions
07 December 2023 | Brussels, Belgium. The Regional Championship of steelChallenge-18 took place online for 24 hours on 29 November 2023. This year’s steelChallenge attracted 1,649 participants representing more than 50 companies and 77 academic institutions from 34 countries. They used steeluniversity’s steelmaking simulator to produce the best steel at the lowest cost while meeting carbon footprint requirements. The World Steel Association (worldsteel) is pleased to announce the finalists for the upcoming steelChallenge-18 World Championship in April 2024.
Jorge Muract, Director, steeluniversity, said, “More than just a competition, steelChallenge is a dynamic education programme that aims to engage students and professionals in the world of steelmaking, while leading the entire industry towards digital transformation. Participants were also challenged to meet carbon footprint requirements to underline our commitment to sustainable steelmaking. By embracing technology and sustainability, we’re shaping the future of the steel industry.”
The first-placed people in both the ‘industry’ and ‘student’ categories from each of the five regions will be invited to the World Championship in April 2024. In addition, all participants completing a successful run of the integrated simulator will receive a certificate of accomplishment.
steelChallenge-18 utilised steeluniversity’s electric arc furnace steelmaking and secondary steelmaking in a combined simulation. Participants were tasked to produce a grade of steel meeting technical requirements at the lowest cost per tonne with carbon footprint requirements. The simulation used a grade of steel specifically designed for steelChallenge-18.
All registered participants for steelChallenge-18 received access to the electric arc furnace and secondary steelmaking courses, including e-learning, 3D interactive models and simulators. In addition, there have been three masterclasses with worldwide recognised experts in the steel industry. Registered participants completing the electric arc furnace and secondary steelmaking courses received completion certificates for each course.
steelChallenge-18 is supported by 14 companies and associations, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to promoting innovation, education, and sustainability in the steel industry. steeluniversity would like to thank them for their support.
steelChallenge-18 World Championship Finalists
Industry Category
| Participant | Affiliation | Region/Country |
| Katie ABRAHAM | Tata Steel | Europe and Africa / UK |
| Caio ANDRADE | ArcelorMittal Pecém | Americas / Brazil |
| Mihir MANDAL | Tata Steel | Asia – West / India |
| Wei Li BU (伟利部) | HBIS Group Co., Ltd. | Asia – North / China |
| Jinho KANG | Independent Consultant | Asia – East and Oceania / South Korea |
Student Category
| Participant | Affiliation | Region/Country |
| Matic BOBNAR | University of Ljubljana | Europe and Africa / Slovenia |
| João Pedro TABOSA | Universidade Federal do Ceará | Americas / Brazil |
| Srinivasan DHANARAJ | Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad | Asia – West / India |
| Cheng Jun HAN (城俊韩) | Tangshan Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology | Asia – North / China |
| Ji Hyeok LEE | Dong-A University | Asia – East and Oceania / South Korea |
steelChallenge-18 is generously sponsored by the following companies:
