The ESTEP Annual Event 2026 will present Europe’s latest progress in steel research and innovation. Next to decarbonisation, circularity, and digitisation the event emphasizes the sector’s pivotal role in enabling a climate neutral and resource efficient energy system. The programme will feature state of the art developments in advanced steel grades, innovative process technologies, enhanced performance and durability, predictive modelling, and harmonized testing methodologies.
Participants will also explore cutting edge applications in hydrogen and renewable energy systems, high integrity forming and joining technologies, and engineering solutions designed for demanding operational environments. The event highlights steel’s essential contribution to building safe, reliable, and high-performance energy infrastructures for the decarbonization of energy intensive industries.
The event will take place on 20-22 October 2026 in Ghent (Belgium) at RodeBol events - CommunicationCampus. The event also includes an optional visit to ArcelorMittal Ghent plant on the morning of 20 October 2026.
This webpage will be regularly updated
Indicative timing of programme for the event:
20 October morning: Visit of ArcelorMittal's facilities (morning 8.30-13.00) + lunch
20 October afternoon: Welcome & start technical conference (14.30 – 18.30) + networking walking dinner (18.30 – 22.00)
21 October: Technical conference (08.30 - 18.00) + conference dinner
22 October: Technical conference (08.30 - 16.00)
The detailed conference programme is available below.
Please note programme times and content are subject to change.
The event will start on 20 October 2026 with an optional visit of the ArcelorMittal Ghent facilities in the morning.
It will be followed on 20 October in the afternoon, 21 & 22 October 2026 with a two-days technical conference (in person) at the RodeBol events - CommunicationCampus.
Further details will follow.
A limited number of rooms have been pre-booked to these hotels :
Please mention ESTEP 2026 Conference - while booking.
Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to Ghent and to their accommodation. However, shuttle buses will be available between Ghent train station (Gent-Sint-Pieters - kiss & ride ) and the conference venue and vice versa.
Continue the discussion on the future of steel and industrial symbiosis. On 23 October, the day after ESTEP’s Annual Event, the INITIATE Final Conference will take place at the same venue, bringing together stakeholders from the steel and chemical industries to explore how cross-sector collaboration can create new value chains. The event will present the project’s results and lessons learned, with a focus on practical solutions and pathways towards industrial implementation.
Find out more and register here.
Call for abstracts is now closed.
This year’s edition will feature both oral presentations and a dedicated poster area. If yourabstract is not selected for a presentation, it may still be showcased during the poster session.
The conference will focus on the following topics:
1. High performance steels for renewable energy
· Wind energy towers, offshore foundations, floating platforms
· Steel alloys for emerging fuels infrastructure (H₂, CO₂, ammonia and mixed carrier environments)
· Advance steel for geothermal energy production
· Energy grid: pylons, conductors, transformers, storage systems
· Gears and Gear Box components
2. Predictive modelling and digital metallurgy
· microstructure–property modelling (physics based + AI based)
· accelerated design loops and digital twins for validation
· process–property–performance integration
3. Improvement of steel processability and in-use properties
· strength–ductility optimisation for safety critical systems
· environmentally assisted degradation
· forming, welding and advanced manufacturing routes:
i. Advanced welding for hydrogen pipelines, pressure vessels, offshore structures
ii. joining steel with composites, coatings or multi‑material systems
iii. monitoring and qualification of weld integrity
· fatigue, creep, crack growth resistance,
· predictive lifetime assessment methods, Structural health monitoring, digital twins
4. Decarbonised steel
· Low CO₂ steel grades produced via hydrogen DRI, electrified metallurgy or CCUS integrated routes
· Property optimisation of decarbonised steels
· Integration of decarbonised steel grades into energy infrastructure applications (pipelines, pressure vessels, wind, mobility, grids)
· Qualification and standardization challenges for low CO₂ steel products‑CO₂ steel products. Traceability and certification of embodied carbon in steel grades
5. Circular economy, circularity by design & recovery ready steel products
· design methods to enable reuse, second life applications and high purity recycling life applications and high purity recycling
· impurity and scrap management strategies for next generation steelmaking management strategies for next generation steelmaking
· circular economy enabling standards and traceability
· steel scrap supply chains
6. Decarbonisation and clean steel process
· hydrogen based steelmaking
· electrified metallurgy
· CCUS integrated routes
• Abstract submission: 31 July 2026
• Abstract selection: 10 September 2026
• Programme publication: 14 September 2026
• Registration: 10 September 2026 - 16 October 2026
In case you need further information, please contact ESTEP via e-mail to Delphine Snaet: D.Snaet@estep.eu
ESTEP ASBL
Av. de Cortenbergh, 172
1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 2 738 79 43
secretariat@steelresearch-estep.eu
