Steel is by far one of the most important and popular resources in every manufacturing activity. Since the beginning of the industrial society steel had a key role in changing the world, so that industrial revolution is often associated with the creation of big steelworks. As a matter of fact the technological evolution of our society went along with steel that thanks to its high strength (to high pressure, high temperatures, weather conditions, and corrosion) and to its ductility (a steel component can be buckled before breaking) can be used in the widest applications.

Not many other materials are so extremely versatile and formable without losing their features of resistance to external stress. A steel rope, for example, can sustain very heavy loads without breaking and in the same time it maintains a high flexibility. Strength and ductility are two specific features of every type of steel and their combination leads the choice of the material for its use. At the end of the life cycle every steel product can be completely recycled and re-used for endless times.

Steel was always considered a precious material because of its wide range of applications. However all its potential was exploited only after carrying out the industrial production in the big steel units. As a matter of fact 40% of the steel products in use did not exist in Europe few years ago; today steel and its products are employed in every manufacturing activity and thanks to the range of their applications we find it in every aspect of our lives, making more functional and modern our towns, home and place of work.
                        
Steel is a green material, as it is a fully recyclable one. At the end of its life cycle every steel product can be fully re-used for endless times. The proof is 300 million tonnes of recycled steel per year, 35% of the worldwide production. Thanks to the continuous investments in electric arc furnaces, steel is the world’s most recycled material and this aspect is one of the best environmental quality of the steel industry, making its life cycle the closest to sustainable development. Steel is very “environment friendly” because of the completely recyclable inner quality of its products, the high rate of recovery and re-use of its by-products and the compliance with the relevant environmental legislation.

Steel is a basic input for the world industrial development because of its properties and of its widest applications in every field. This is confirmed by the strong increasing demand and supply of steel products worldwide.
 
In 2004 the world production of steel was more than 1 billion tonnes, 8,8% up compared with 2003.

Asia turned out to be the most dynamic area with an output of nearly 500 Mio t. and an overall growth by 13,2%. The Asian continent took advantage of the strong increase of China’s production, which was over 270 million tonnes, 23,2% more than in the previous year.

In Europe the steel production rose as well, the Ue-25 reached an output of 193 Mio t., 5% more than in 2003.