Discovering excellence in steelmaking: a visit to the Feralpi Group

With an annual production of approximately 20 million tons, Italy ranks among Europe’s leading steel producers, alongside Germany and France. The Italian steel industry is a key component of the country’s industrial supply chain, supporting strategic sectors such as automotive, infrastructure construction, precision mechanics, and energy. The use of cutting-edge technologies, including the electric arc furnace process, which relies on scrap recycling, enables the production of high-quality steel with reduced environmental impact, positioning Italy as a benchmark for the ecological transition in the steel sector.

The course “Steelmaking and Foundry Technologies” offered for several years within the Master’s degree program in Materials Engineering, introduces students to the world of steelmaking: from raw material transformation to molten steel production, secondary metallurgy, and advanced casting and remelting processes. A key part of the course is the guided tour of a steel plant. This year, students had the opportunity to visit the Feralpi Group plant in Lonato del Garda, accompanied by course lecturer Prof. Giovanni Straffelini and Feralpi’s Head of Research and Development, Eng. Cosmo De Cecca.

During the visit, students were able to closely observe the advanced technologies employed in steelworks and rolling mills, including innovations in environmental sustainability management, such as scrap metal recycling and emissions control, where Feralpi is a global leader.

The visit also allowed students to understand the employment impact of the Italian steel industry: the sector directly employs over 30,000 workers and generates an induced workforce involving tens of thousands of additional jobs. Thus, Italian steelmaking is not only economically significant but also socially vital, as it ensures highly specialized skills and supports the development of entire communities.

This experience provided students with a valuable opportunity to connect theory with practice, highlighting the importance of a sector that blends tradition and innovation. The steel industry, dynamic and ever-evolving, offers tangible career opportunities: materials engineers and other specialized professionals are in high demand, with stable and growing career prospects.

A sector that not only fuels the economy but also drives the country’s technological progress.