At fieramilano Rho, the opening ceremony of the three days  of the international steel supply chain.  Over 300 companies are ready to do business and shop talk about generational transition,
sustainability and competitiveness of the supply chain

CEO Paolo Morandi: «Attendance rates have been constantly increasing since 2005.
This tenth edition has achieved incredible results. We are growing, but we continue to aim high,
together with the rest of the steel supply chain»

Milan, 9 May 2023 - Sharing values and experiences, supporting young people and their talents, and focusing on innovation and sustainability are critical to the future of the steel industry and are the main focus of the first business day of the tenth edition of Made in Steel, the International Conference & Exhibition of the steel supply chain.

The title of this year Made in Steel is "GENERATION, re-imagining our world". The president of siderweb and Made in Steel Emanuele Morandi focused on the passing of the baton: «This is a special edition, marking a key change. People make societies and develop projects, which must continue regardless of who originally created them. Made in Steel 2023 is the right time to leave the two creatures I created, along with many more, to live their own life." Paolo Morandi, CEO of siderweb and Made in Steel, added: "When it was our turn at the helm of the two companies my dad created, my sister Francesca Morandi and I wondered how we could continue to innovate and grow. For siderweb we have drawn up a five-year strategic plan based on a strong idea: to involve the user sectors with a supply chain system perspective. We did this thinking about the future and about how to expand the steel community." Speaking on behalf of Made in Steel, Paolo Morandi, highlighted the success of the edition inaugurated today, with more than 300 companies from 21 countries: "Made in Steel has grown over time and has become the international Conference & Exhibition of the steel value chain. Since 2005 visitors' participation has steadily increased, and the tenth edition has achieved incredible results. We are growing, but we continue to aim high, together with the rest of the steel supply chain».

Enrico Pazzali, president of Fondazione Fiera Milano, remarked on the role of exhibitions for companies.

Antonio Gozzi, President of Federacciai, exhibiting at Made in Steel since the very first edition, underlined the role that the International Conference & Exhibition for the steel supply chain and its steel community - siderweb – have played for the supply chain: «The Italian steel industry must overcome its communications issues: a lot is being done, but not much is communicated. In this time and age, one risks becoming irrelevant without effective communication. Without a nice story to tell, something the Italian steel value chain has, one loses its competitive advantage. The title for this edition captures a current theme for many steel companies: the passing of the baton. Generational change can be effective if it hinges on values such as sustainability, inclusion, efficiency, flexibility and the ability to adapt. These are the founding values of a sector which is the European champion of sustainability, and that must be passed down to the new generations via a new narrative and new storytelling». 

The President of Assofermet, Riccardo Benso focused on how important it is to unite the supply chain and bring it together: «The steel community meets here at Made in Steel every other year. A sector that in the past struggled to engage in a fruitful dialogue, here at fieramilano is now able to build bridges. A choral effort to develop dialogue is essential for a key supply chain generating wealth throughout Europe. Made in Steel represents an opportunity to foster collaboration and better connect steel users to steel producers. Our focus on sustainability and the generational transition will hopefully reinforce collaboration among players and help them achieve great results».

BPER Banca is a partner of Made in Steel 2023. Stefano Vittorio Kuhn, Head of Retail and Commercial Banking BPER Banca, said: «The steel sector is crucial for our economy. BPER Banca is at the forefront in supporting the development of the industry and in fact, holds a significant market share compared to its size. Despite the recession, the steel industry has posted positive results: we know it represents a significant opportunity. BPER is also highly focused on sustainability-related issues, a key driver in the steel industry, and has projects involving the entire manufacturing system». 

THE WORDS OF THE FUTURE. The first conference of the Conference & Exhibition was dedicated to the words we can use to speak about our present and build our future. Two women were in charge of the narration: Emma Marcegaglia, chairman and CEO of Marcegaglia Holding, and Claudia Parzani, partner of Linklaters, Chair of Borsa Italiana, Deputy Chair at Il Sole 24 Ore.

Roots, talent, trust, sustainability, innovation, success, freedom, generations. These are some of the words in Emma Marcegaglia and Claudia Parzani’s narrative.

«Sustainability is crucial – stressed Emma Marcegaglia – and is an integral part of our long-term strategy. However, it must be tackled comprehensively, looking simultaneously at environmental, economic and social issues. We are seeing a true revolution unfolding in front of us, and our industry is calling for sustainability to move forward in a pragmatic and non-ideological way." For Ms Marcegaglia, sustainability is a set of values that must be translated into concrete actions: «Our Group has invested in the green steel transition with HSGS, Eni and Snam in a major carbon capture project in the area of Ravenna. We are also working hard on photovoltaic plants. Young people feel strongly about sustainability and increasingly ask companies for tangible actions. Sustainability will necessarily become a hallmark of modern organisations».

«Companies – said Claudia Parzani – are called to act as social enterprises. We must aim to attract talents and support and develop them via generational cross-contamination. The most successful companies will be those that will have developed these aspects, enabling a true spirit of generational coexistence. New generations are calling for more sustainability, and they are right. Sustainability is tantamount of future development. At the same time, it requires intelligence, different approaches and cross-contamination to determine what we will be in the coming years. It is a path that must be followed step by step, also through investments in continuous innovation».

At the end of the opening morning, Ugo Salerno, Ceo of Rina, awarded Paolo Morandi, Ceo of siderweb, the sustainable design certificate according to ISO 20121:2012 principles for management, inclusion, integrity and transparency and the seven principles of social responsibilities included in the ISO 26000 guidelines.