How we work
Jernkontoret’s vision is:
"A competitive Swedish steel industry with the least possible impact on the environment and climate"
Through:
- Strengthening the Nordic steel industry’s competitiveness through the research results achieved being turned to account within the industry.
- Promoting the supply of competence to the industry and working to maintain high quality amongst research practitioners such as Swerea MEFOS, Swerea KIMAB, the Royal Institute of Technology [KTH], Dalarna University and Luleå University of Technology [LTU].
- Identifying both needs-driven and pure research-oriented research tasks.
- Seeking financing for, planning and initiating projects or major research programmes via co-ordinated contacts with industry, researchers and grant providers.
- Conducting and following up research activities in research institutes, institutes of technology and universities and securing inputs from industry.
- Promoting industrial contacts and specialist knowledge within the sector in the formation of project committees and boards.
We lead the steel industry’s joint research
Since 1926, the joint Nordic steel research has been conducted within so-called technical areas with steel companies and their suppliers. The technical areas work partly on joint research wholly financed by the industry, so-called ‘Bruksforskning’ and partly with projects within two of Jernkontoret’s major research programmes, the Energy Research programme and the Steel Research programme. Within the programmes, the financing of the research is divided between state providers of finance (Swedish Energy Agency and VINNOVA) and the participating companies.
Project proposals are produced by the research practitioners (both programmes) or brought in via open invitations (the Steel Research programme only). Once the project has received a grant and has started up the technical areas function as steering groups for the research projects although frequently the responsibility for running the project is delegated to a research committee with industry representatives and research practitioners. Each technical area can rely on the help of one of Jernkontoret’s research managers.
More information: Joint Research – Technical areas
Jernkontoret is also responsible for management and administration of the research inputs outside the technical area organisation.
The Steel Eco-Cycle research programme, co-financed by Mistra and the participating companies, is one such example. In terms of its organisation, this programme is not wholly different from the two other research programmes but the committees and steering groups are not directly tied to operations within the technical areas.
We participate in European research
European steel research is financed mainly by the European Research Fund for Coal and Steel, RFCS. Swedish steel research has been very successful in the allocation of resources from this fund. Jernkontoret participates in working groups that deal with e.g. guidelines and contract issues as well as providing assistance to Swedish applicants.
We support regional research clusters
Triple Steelix is an innovation system whose object is to further strengthen the steel industry in Bergslagen through an effective interaction between the business sector, municipal and regional organisations and research in the region. Jernkontoret is the sponsor of Triple Steelix.
Jernkontoret is also involved in Forskarskolan i Dalarna [Dalarna Research School], part-financed by the Knowledge Foundation [KK-stiftelsen].
We influence research policy
Jernkontoret monitors and influences research policy initiatives from the EU and Sweden. The proposition is that joint industry research which is based on the needs of the industry is essential for retaining a competitive Swedish steel industry and high levels of competence within both the industry and the academic world.
More information: Our prioritised issues - Research
Contact
Gert Nilson
Technical director
tel +46 8 679 17 05
mobile +46 70 253 01 14
