U. S. Steel SVP – Sustainability and CTO Christian Gianni Delivered Keynote on “Value of Partnerships” at SMSVC Annual Meeting

On November 5, CIVS was honored to host a dinner keynote speech by U. S. Steel Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Christian Gianni at the SMSVC Annual Meeting. He addressed a very important topic on “The Value of Partnerships” to more than 90 steel industry professionals, CIVS students, staff, faculty, and university leaders. The keynote was very well-received by all attendees and concluded with a lively and productive Q&A session.

Christian emphasized that partnership is key to innovation, which is the spirit at U. S. Steel.  He highlighted U. S. Steel’s partnership with Nippon Steel to blend technical expertise, strengthen operations, and progress toward decarbonization.  He also highlighted U. S. Steel’s partnership with CIVS as a model of true collaboration and a strong example of how industry and academia can work together to achieve significant results. In collaboration with CIVS, U. S. Steel and other SMSVC companies are advancing digital twins technologies for various iron and steelmaking processes as well as virtual training and safety, which help make iron/steelmaking smarter, safer, and more sustainable. Mr. Gianni also addressed students to emphasize that the future of manufacturing depends on innovators who can link digital tools with real-world challenges.

U. S. Steel has collaborated with PNW for more than 20 years to develop and implement digital technologies such as simulation, visualization, and AI. They are also a Charter Member company of the SMSVC.

In October, Christian and other U. S. Steel leaders visited CIVS to review and discuss ongoing and future potential projects through the CIVS and SMSVC. Read more. 

Christian’s keynote address was a wonderful reminder of what makes the SMSVC such an effective organization that is able to bring together a range industrial partners. Through partnership and collaboration, American steel can retain its quality, safety, and environmental advantages in an age of increased international competition.

Samuel Nielson, CIVS Research Engineer

It was an incredible opportunity to hear from a leading figure in the industry and to gain insights into the importance of partnerships.

Jacob Shulman, CIVS Graduate Research Assistant