Made in Steel is the leading international event dedicated to the steel supply chain. Organized by Siderweb, it is held every two years in Milan and has become the benchmark event for this sector. This brief introduction, however, does not honor what Made in Steel represents for our group.

Francesca Solazzi, Regesta Group’s sales coordinator, tells this on her return from this experience.

Made in Steel and its importance to the industry

As mentioned, Made in Steel has established itself as the benchmark event for the steel supply chain, acquiring a prestigious role at the international level as well. “In the edition that has just ended,” Francesca says, “there were speeches by personalities of the caliber of Emma Marcegaglia, who addressed the theme of female enterprise in the context of the steel industry.” An event that also won attention and consideration from top management and decision makers in companies and institutions.

A must-attend event, also because, as Francesca explains, “The presence of Regesta Group within Made in Steel represents a unique case: we are the system integrator that has been participating for 20 years as a provider of vertical solutions for the steel world that, over the years, we have extended to the entire supply chain.” A privileged opportunity to network in a more dynamic form than usual meetings, build and consolidate relationships, participate in discussions and create new opportunities.

An interesting moment was our speech at the event“Market & Surroundings: Conjuncture and Prospects for Carbon Steel,” during which Francesco Brunelli, president of Regesta Group, and Andrea Bertoglio, AI Solution Development Manager, spoke. The speech highlighted how Artificial Intelligence is already transforming the steel industry in concrete ways.

During the presentation, we illustrated how digitization and the intelligent use of data are no longer an option, but a necessity to maintain competitiveness: AI today is a strategic lever to increase operational efficiency, reduce consumption and improve supply chain performance, from production management to resource optimization.

A concrete example of the application of these technologies is the AI Steel Trends project, developed in collaboration with Siderweb: an evolved platform using predictive models for the analysis and projection of industry price trends, designed to become an advanced decision support tool for operators.

“The topic of Artificial Intelligence,” Francesca explains, “is inevitably central in these years, but we have chosen to address it by presenting very specific and vertical solutions on the world of steel. Our expertise with SAP also supports us in this. Our latest achievement in order of time is having won with our partner Clarex theAI Challenge EMEA of SAP for the implementation of a project in direct collaboration with the company.”

In addition to these achievements, Regesta Group already has operational projects on the use of Artificial Intelligence, and it is this practical experience that is the added value we have brought as a differentiator to Made in Steel.

Not to mention that events of this kind represent opportunities for some moments of greater levity. “In order to combine a field demonstration of our capabilities with something more informal and suitable for the context, we brought to our booth a simple coffee vending machine, but equipped with a display showing all the field parameters detected and an AI-based system that visualizes both collection and prediction of abnormal behaviors. We chose this ploy to combine the useful with the enjoyable and turn even the ritual coffee break into an opportunity to reflect on the potential of Artificial Intelligence,” Francesca says.

We told how to apply artificial intelligence to the steel industry

At the event, we wanted to show how Artificial Intelligence can be introduced into the enterprise in a gradual and measurable way, starting with concrete applications. “One of the first areas where it makes sense to intervene is knowledge management,” Francesca explains. “In many industries there are still many undocumented skills, passed down informally and unsystematized. With AI we can collect them, structure them, and turn them into shared assets, available to all and scalable over time.”

Another key principle is to start with circumscribed processes, where the return on investment can be easily measured. “We always recommend starting with repetitive, low-value-added activities that require a lot of manual time. Automating them means freeing up resources for more strategic activities,” Francesca continues. “The goal is not to replace people, but to put them in a position to work better, eliminating the most bureaucratic, frustrating or mechanical part.”

The logic is simple: you apply AI where the ROI is most evident, and then progressively extend it to more complex areas.“It is a cascading value-generating process. When a company experiences firsthand the time savings and greater accuracy achievable, it is easier to convince even the most skeptical parties to adopt these technologies.”

The most promising areas, according to Francesca, also include maintenance and quality control in production, with the use of algorithms for visual inspection, automatic part counting, error detection and predictive maintenance. “Again, we are talking about tools that do not eliminate work, but improve it, making it faster, safer and more sustainable.”

Made in Steel: not just an industry event

For Regesta Group, Made in Steel represents much more than an exhibition event. “It is a celebration, first and foremost,” Francesca Solazzi says. “We have been working for more than 20 years in the steel sector: we have historical clients, but also friends, relationships built over time and consolidated with trust and mutual respect. That’s why participating is always a special moment.”

As mentioned, our presence constitutes almost a special case, a unique presence that underscores the verticality and depth of our experience in the sector. “We have had the pleasure of meeting many of the companies that we already follow as suppliers, but also to confront ourselves with new realities. Made in Steel gives us the opportunity each time to listen to the market up close, in a way that is different from an office meeting. It is a broad, relaxed and stimulating context.”

In fact, the atmosphere, pace, and quality of interactions allow for authentic networking, exploration of new opportunities, and strengthening ties with a supply chain we know intimately. “It is the ideal place to tell what we do and to listen to what the industry really needs. And that is also why we always return there with pleasure,” Francesca concludes.

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