Towards Net Zero

A digital roadmap to accelerate net zero steel in the UK has been developed by InterAct-backed academics from the University of Warwick.

An innovative study supported by the InterAct programme has developed a strategic digital roadmap to fast-track the UK steel sector’s transition to net zero. Developed by a team of academics from the University of Warwick, the research identifies the most pressing barriers to adopting Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs) and provides actionable guidance on how these barriers can be overcome towards decarbonising one of the UK’s most vital industries.

“The UK steel industry, comprising over 1,100 companies, is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, accounting for a significant portion of global CO₂ emissions. While steel can be endlessly recycled, its production remains energy-intensive, making the drive toward greener, more efficient practices an urgent national and global priority,” the project leaders explained.

A digital path

Supported by InterAct, part of the Made-Smarter Innovation initiative, the research project explored how IDTs can be leveraged to support the industry’s shift to resource and energy efficiency (REE) with a special focus on overcoming sector-specific adoption challenges.

The result is a seven-layer hierarchical framework that maps the interdependencies between 12 critical barriers (including investment uncertainty, skills shortages, regulatory complexity and environmental considerations) and provides clear priorities for policymakers and industry leaders.

To read the rest of this article in the October issue of ISMR, see https://joom.ag/JO2d/p86