Posco Group announced that it held the Posco Group Tech Forum at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on the 6th. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person events were halted, and the forum was held offline for the first time in five years.
Jang In-hwa, Chairman of Posco Group, who attended the opening ceremony, stated, “Posco Group has always found breakthroughs through innovative technology development,” and added, “Although the company currently faces many challenges such as global uncertainty and a temporary demand stagnation (chasm), we will turn these crises into opportunities through innovation aimed at becoming world-class.”
Started in 1989, this year’s Posco Group Tech Forum marks its 36th session. It is a venue to share major technological development results of the group’s core businesses and discuss directions for technological advancement. This year, for the first time since the establishment of the holding company, Posco Group’s technologists gathered to discuss group core technologies such as steel and secondary battery materials.
The keynote speech was given by Simon Parry, the Carbon Neutrality Executive of the Australian raw material company ‘Rio Tinto,’ on the topic of “Strategies of a Global Raw Material Company for Carbon Neutrality and Collaboration Methods with Steel Companies.” Over 26 technical sessions will be held during the forum, which continues until the 7th, discussing ways to secure a competitive edge in low-carbon steel (HyREX, hydrogen-reduced steelmaking) and secondary battery raw materials (recycling). Before the main event, there was also an exhibition of the company’s core technologies, including achievements in digital transformation (DX), next-generation electric vehicle bodies, hydrogen reduction steelmaking technology, and Argentina brine lithium production processes.
A total of 12 ‘Posco Technology Awards’ were given to employees who achieved technological development results. The first prize was awarded to Kim Kwan-hyung, deputy at Gwangyang Steel Works, for his “Digital Twin-based Converter One-touch Operation Technology.” Kim automated the converter operation process, which was previously manually conducted by operators, using an AI-based model and video measurement technology, enhancing productivity through an Intelligent Factory that encompasses AI and robotics technologies.
Alongside Chairman Jang, the opening ceremony was attended by Soo-woo Lee, President of Posco, Kisoo Kim, Chief Technology Officer of Posco Holdings, Jungsun Jeon, President of Posco E&C, Byeong-ok Yoo, President of Posco Future M, and about 1,200 other officials and staff members from the technology sector of major group companies.