“The Bright World of Metals” 2023 shines with an exciting supporting programme and new formats

New to the programme:

• ecoMetals Forum in Hall 9
• Theme day ‘Green thermoprocess technology’ on 12 June 2023
• Special exhibition ‘Castainability’ in Hall 13
• ecoMetals Awards on 15 June 2023
• ecoMetals Studio as a new digital format

Whether it’s world-class international conferences, prestigious awards, a high-level discussion with industry experts and policymakers, special exhibitions or insights into the latest topics in the lecture forums – at “Bright World of Metals”, taking place from 12 to 16 June 2023 in Düsseldorf, there will be numerous programme highlights to complement the exhibition featuring over 2,100 exhibitors from 56 countries. All four specialist technology trade fairs thus offer a broad spectrum covering the key topics of the metallurgical industries and highlight strategies, both in theory and in practice, for how companies are tackling the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Politics meets business

On the first day of the fair, the supporting programme of the quartet of world-leading trade fairs will feature a very special highlight: a high-level discussion between top decision-makers from industry and politics. The panellists are: Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Clemens Küpper, President of BDGuss, Dr Heike Denecke-Arnold, Chief Operations Officer at thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG, Till Schreiter, Managing Director of ABP Induction Systems GmbH, Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Management Board of SMS Group GmbH and Dr Ioannis Ioannidis, Spokesman for the Management Board, Oskar Frech GmbH & Co. KG (12 June 2023 from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm in Hall 1, Room 115).

Groundbreaking innovations are on the agenda: the ecoMetals Forum and the themed day ‘Green thermoprocess technology’

The ecoMetals campaign organised by Messe Düsseldorf, which has been the ‘green heart’ of the Bright World of Metals since 2011, is being expanded this year to include numerous new formats. On 15 June 2023, the “: ecoMetals Forum Metals4Sure” will take place for the first time at THERMPROCESS in Hall 9, Stand D74. The focus will be on metallurgical technologies, processes and applications. The industry’s comprehensive expertise in decarbonisation helps to make tried-and-tested processes in metal production and forming increasingly sustainable.

The energy transition from a fossil-fuel and nuclear-based system to a renewable energy supply for industrial manufacturing is a radical shift that requires innovation, investment and continuous improvement. Thermal processes and their comparatively high energy consumption are key to this transformation. These aspects will be examined and discussed in particular during the ‘ ’ theme day, ‘Green thermoprocess
technology’ , on 12 June 2023. Conference speakers include Matthias Zelinger, VDMA Head of Climate & Energy, Matthias Rehfeldt, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Carsten Gondorf and Nico Schmitz, Department of Industrial Furnaces and Thermal Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, René Gail, Project Management Jülich (PtJ), Joachim G. Wünning, FOGI – Research Association for Industrial Furnace Construction, Nadine Barthel, Cluster Decarbonisation in Industries (CDI), Egbert Baake, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Leibniz University Hannover, and Hartmut Krause, TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The ecoMetals Forum is partnered by the German Engineering Federation ( , VDMA), Metallurgy Division, which also organises the THERMPROCESS Forum in collaboration with the Research Association for Industrial Furnace Construction (FOGI). The conference language for all events is English; attendance is free of charge for trade fair visitors. Further information is available at: www.thermprocess.de/de/Besuchen/Rahmenprogramm/ecoMetals_2023

Special exhibition ‘Castainability’ and NEWCAST AWARD

The GIFA and NEWCAST Halls 10 to 17 are the meeting place for the international foundry industry – not least thanks to the wide-ranging activities of the Association of German Foundry Specialists (VDG) and the Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry (BDG). This year’s forums focus on topics that will prepare the foundry sector for a climate-neutral future. ’s special exhibition “Castainability” is making its debut at the BDG stand C17 – F68 in Hall 13, demonstrating to visitors just how sustainable castings can be. Whilst castings for lightweight automotive construction and renewable energy were already on the agenda at NEWCAST in the past, the strength and innovative potential of the casting process are also evident when it comes to the challenges of decarbonising industrial processes, the transition to electromobility and climate-neutral heating technology. The most innovative castings from international NEWCAST exhibitors will be honoured on 14 June 2023 with the renowned ‘ ’ NEWCAST Award. Programme details can be found at: GIFA FORUM 2023 and NEWCAST FORUM 2023.

The METEC steel trade fair and its conferences, ESTAD and EMC
METEC, together with its conferences ESTAD (European Steel Technology and Application Days) and EMC (European Metallurgical Conference), forms an unbeatable trio. From 12 to 16 June, at the ESTAD – Europe’s largest steel conference – the focus will be on green steel and the challenges currently facing the industry as it moves towards climate-neutral production processes. At the METEC trade fair and the parallel congress, experts will provide answers to pressing technological questions – thereby contributing to the global success of the steel industry. For steel producers, suppliers and users, the five-day congress is an absolute industry highlight. The 6th ESTAD is organised by the VDEh Steel Institute. Detailed information and tickets are available at: https://metec-estad2023.com

The ‘ ’ (EMC) is the most important conference for non-ferrous metallurgists in Europe. Every two years, more than 400 metallurgists, scientists and decision-makers from around the world come together to discuss current challenges in their field. This year’s EMC is themed ‘CO_₂-neutral and autonomous energy supply’. The key themes are hydrogen, lithium and decarbonisation. The programme features more than 90 fascinating presentations and discussions from the fields of hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy on topics such as the circular economy and recycling, Industry 4.0 and process virtualisation. The conference, conducted exclusively in English, is organised by the GDMB – Society of Metallurgists and Miners e.V. – and is aimed at metal producers, plant manufacturers and service providers, as well as universities and engineering firms. Tickets and registration are available via the following link: https://gdmb.de/emc-2023-european-metallurgical-conference/

THERMPROCESS a success with forum and special exhibition

Theory and practice also go hand in hand at the THERMPROCESS events, the FOGI special exhibition organised by the Forschungsgemeinschaft Industrieofenbau e. V. and the THERMPROCESS Forum organised by VDMA Metallurgy. At the THERMPROCESS Forum, renowned exhibitors present innovative processes and solutions relating to thermal processing technology, as well as the digitalisation of processes and plant. The programme of presentations reflects the current challenges and drivers of development for companies in the thermal process engineering sector and addresses, amongst other things, the contribution of thermal process technology to recycling for an integrated circular economy. Experts from universities and research institutes will moderate the individual exhibitor sessions. Attendance at the symposium is free of charge for THERMPROCESS trade visitors. Further information is available at: https://www.thermprocess.de/de/Besuchen/Rahmenprogramm/THERMPROCESS_Forum_2023

In addition to the presentations, renowned research institutes specialising in thermal processing technology will be presenting their areas of expertise and latest research in the FOGI special exhibition in Hall 9, Stand C42, renowned research institutes specialising in thermal process technology will be presenting their areas of expertise and current research work.