Steel is an essential material – one that makes the modern economy possible. The industry plays a critical role in how we live our lives. 

One such company is the family-owned multinational SMS group, which has been delivering plants and equipment for the production and processing of steel for over 150 years. In recent years, the company has pivoted, pushing the boundaries of its applications into digitization, cloud computing and renewable energy.

SMS group does not produce steel itself. Instead, it is a technology company that develops processes for the manufacturing of steel, aluminum, copper and other non-ferrous metals. The core business is the development of the metallurgical process, the engineering of the mechanical parts, programming of automation and software – and the integration of all of these aspects so that the metals industry can produce and process metals in the cleanest and most effective ways possible.

Steel’s environmental credentials are mixed: the extraction and production of metals is CO2 intensive, yet the metals themselves are endlessly recyclable. The challenge is to clean up the manufacturing process, reduce consumption, reuse resources where possible and make better use of them. 

SMS currently employs some 14,000 staff across the world. With its base in Germany, where SMS carries out most of its engineering and research, the company also has major operations around the world. 

Different SMS group locations have different strengths and portfolio activities. So when we are building a complete plant we have Indian, Chinese, German, American people forming one team and focusing on the same goal. The company is also deeply involved in digitization and automation, working with new specialists in software and digital natives in order to meet future demand.

Innovation is at the heart of what SMS group is doing today. SMS offers more products and new technologies to our existing customers. SMS group is involved in logistics, for example in the storage of our finished products, expertise that has also been transferred into new applications for shipping containers. With DP-World, SMS group has built the world’s most efficient high-bay warehouse in Dubai Port. This stores three times as many containers on the same footprint compared to standard conventional logistics systems. Every single container can be directly accessed at any point in time, a unique feature.

SMS group is deeply embedded in a sector undergoing a transformation to become a green. There is a bright future for the steel, aluminum and metallurgy industries, in part because of their material properties and endless recyclability.

However, the immediate environmental and climate footprint of metals production needs to come down – ideally to zero by mid-century. To make this a reality, SMS group is developing and rolling out cutting-edge green steel processes that use renewably-produced hydrogen, as well as transitional technologies that cut emissions from metals production today. We are investing in this technology to help secure the future for our children and grandchildren.