During the conference “Siderurgia 2050”, the CEO of Danieli Group Giacomo Mareschi Danieli reaffirmed the pivotal role of the territory for the company, advocating for a systemic cooperation among industry, academy and institutions.
Giacomo Mareschi Danieli discusses the future of steel manufacturing at “Siderurgia 2050”
Udine, the historic stronghold of Italian steel industry, hosted an important conference for the sector this summer, titled “Siderurgia 2050”. It took place during the last days of June and it was the first event of the project “Impresa Futuro”. Sponsored by Confindustria Udine and the University of Udine, in collaboration with iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem, it was attended by several representatives of the manufacturing sphere, academics and institutional figures, including CEO Giacomo Mareschi Danieli. Based in the same city that hosted the conference, the company he runs is a global leader in the supply of high-technology equipment and metal manufacturing plants. The manager took part in the panel discussion led by the Deputy Director of NEM Group Paolo Mosanghini, during the which he pointed out the crucial role of the territory for Danieli Group. The purpose of the meeting, as the President of Confindustria Udine Luigino Pozzo explained, was to “look ahead to the new challenges of manufacturing”, interpreting the industrial and social transformations that are affecting the sector in order to then rebuild the industry. Key topics of the event included raw materials, energy, decarbonization, new technologies and the training of human resources within a highly unpredictable and uncertain context. “We are in the post-globalization phase – stated Pozzo – Today, we are effectively in a period of competition with Asian countries. And we have a long list of challenges to face”.
Giacomo Mareschi Danieli: collaboration among industry, academy and institutions is key
On many occasions, CEO Giacomo Mareschi Danieli has emphasized the importance of the territory in Danieli Group’s vision. “Siderurgia 2050” was no exception. “Collaboration among industry, academy and institutions – stressed the manager – requires a systemic and ongoing effort, where industry provides the operational context, practical needs and vision; the academy contributes with advanced research, specialized training and the development of new technologies; and institutions have the task of promoting coherent policies (environmental, social and industrial)”. He then added: “We must work together to ensure that all this functions and leads to joint projects. I think of initiatives like competence centers, public-private partnerships and European programs (e.g., Horizon Europe), which are key tools to strengthen this ecosystem. Continuous dialogue among the three components is essential to guarantee a sustainable, resilient and cutting-edge steel industry”. Talking about the future of work in steel plants, Giacomo Mareschi Danieli focused on the coexistence of humans and machines in the steel industry. “Even now, in our plants, highly specialized technicians and supervisors of complex machinery have replaced workers. The skills that many young people have are truly high-level – he said – I do not believe that Artificial Intelligence can replace people, at least not yet. It is not reliable enough at this moment: a single small mistake can compromise days of production”.
