"STÅLMAT" STEEL MATERIAL

is a five year research program which begins in 1994 and brings steel manufacturers and users together in a joint research program. Besides Fundia Norwegian Iron Works, Norway´s other major steel manufacturer, Scana Steel near Stavanger, Norway along with industrial concerns such as Statoil, Hydro, Saga, Aker and Kværner, will also be participating. The annual cost of the program is NOK 50 to 60million which will be covered by the Norwegian Research Council and its industrial partners. Ten NTH doctoral dissertations will be among the products´ of this program. One of the expressed goals of the program is to make the Norwegian engineering industry an international leader in the production and application of high strength steel with a yield limit up to approximately 700 MPa.

"Generally speaking, this enormous endeavor will help Norway strengthen its position as a modern industrial nation," emphasizes Professor Christian Thaulow. The professor believes that in the past few years the importance of steel in Norwegian industry has been underestimated and preference given to "more exotic" materials. He points out that 90 to 95 percent of the material required by Norwegian workshops is steel. Every year we use approximately 1.1 million tons of steel, but an astounding 90% of this is imported. Moreover, we export 70 % of the steel produced in Norway.