Steel Industry Webinars |
AIST Decarbonization Webinar: EAF Modernization and Preparation for Hydrogen
Thursday 22 October 2026 • Zoom • 9–10 a.m. EDT
This webinar examines how steel producers can strengthen electric arc furnace (EAF) operations through modernization and decarbonization initiatives. Topics include furnace upgrade strategies, lessons learned from a large-scale capital project at CMC Steel Texas, and practical approaches to reducing emissions through hydrogen readiness, ventilation optimization and enhanced emission control system performance.
The Raw Materials Challenge: Powering Steel in MENA
Monday, 2 November 2026 • Webinar via Zoom
Registration for this webinar is FREE for all attendees, sponsored by the MENA Member Chapter.
From Data to Better Steel: AI for Process Control, Quality and Materials
Wednesday, 4 November 2026 • 10-11:45am
Four production deployments trace AI from the plant network down to the grain structure of the steel itself. Suhas Mehta of Falkonry opens with ironmaking operations generating up to 100 million data points a day, introducing the Average Monitoring Reduction Ratio, a measure of how much manual signal review AI removes without sacrificing decision quality. Bryan DeBois of RoviSys follows with a hot rolling deployment combining image-based measurement, historian data, and predictive models to detect and forecast roughing mill turn-up events. Anastasiia Glebova of o-hive.ai turns to surface quality, covering automated defect detection, real-time pass/fail decisions and the root-cause analysis that vision data makes possible. Saeid Kamalpour closes below the surface with transparent grain structure analysis that generates ASTM E112 grain-size numbers and predicts mechanical behavior before material ships. Every speaker focuses on implementation: what worked, what it took and what others should expect.”
AIST Young Professionals and Board of Directors Mentor Mixer
Thursday, 5 November 2026 • 1 to 2:35 p.m. ET • Zoom • MEMBERS ONLY
This event will provide AIST’s Young Professional members the opportunity to learn directly from and network with AIST Board of Directors and AIST Foundation Board of Trustees representatives. The goal of this session is to give our future industry leaders a chance to discover insights and advice from current, respected iron and steel veterans and experts.
Young Professionals will sign up in advance for the virtual event and then be split into small groups. There would be approximately 10 Young Professionals per rotating group to ensure manageable, quality conversation. Registrants will participate in four rotations of virtual breakout rooms to receive exposure and face-time with a variety of board members.
Young Professionals will have the undivided attention of board members and can ask them questions to learn more about their career, industry experience, and insights into how they have earned their success.
Each breakout room discussion will be monitored by a group leader. A backup list of questions has been generated in the event the organic discussion slows down or needs to be redirected.
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How to Write a Technical Paper
Tuesday, 10 November 2026 • 10 to 11 a.m. ET • Zoom
The purpose of this seminar is to assist authors with the preparation and submission of high-quality technical papers for publication in AIST-sponsored conference proceedings. The seminar will cover the following topics: (i) benefits of submitting a technical paper; (ii) AIST policies and procedures; (iii) author resources on AISTech OpenWater Portal; (iv) example paper contents; (v) Alternative (Alt) Text; and (vi) tips and tricks on how to start writing a technical paper. The seminar will be delivered by Sunday Abraham of SSAB Americas and Judy Li Park of Carnegie Mellon University.
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Cybersecurity in Steel: Hardening Operations and Qualifying in the Supply Chain
Wednesday, 11 November 2026 • 10-11 a.m.
Cybersecurity has moved from an IT concern to a condition of doing business in steel. This session covers both ends of that shift, the plant floor and the purchase order. Nathan Smith of Gray Matter Systems examines why operational technology has become such an attractive target, with aging infrastructure, unmanaged assets and limited visibility letting attackers achieve maximum impact with minimal effort. He walks the most common attack paths in modern steel operations and the practical steps that improve asset visibility, change management and automation security. Doreen Gonzalez-Gaboyan and Jan Fourman of Industry Workforce Solutions address the commercial side, explaining how customer cybersecurity expectations for suppliers are evolving and offering a road map for assessing readiness, prioritizing improvements, and demonstrating compliance using existing standards. Together they answer two questions steel producers and their suppliers now face: how do we make the plant a harder target, and how do we prove it?”
AI and the People Who Run the Plant: Safety, Maintenance and Readiness
Wednesday, 18 November 2026 • 10-11:15 a.m.
“Every talk in this session is about supporting a person rather than replacing one. Yang Ni of Purdue University Northwest presents research on AI-driven hazard recognition, addressing why models trained on general imagery struggle with mill heat, dust, smoke and glare, and how AI can move beyond detecting hazards to helping safety personnel decide what to do about them. Ed LaBruna, Ariel Gonzalez and Ignacio Lobato then present an AI agent for maintenance management validated across three steel production facilities, integrated with plant ERP systems, answering questions in natural language, and built with deliberate constraints to limit hallucinated output. Dan Simkins and Doogie Levine of ATiiD close by arguing that every AI initiative rests on four foundations, data, process, workforce literacy and willingness to change, failing at whichever is weakest. Attendees complete a short anonymous readiness self-assessment and leave knowing which foundation is their real constraint.”
AIST Talent Acquisition Virtual Session: Recruiting for Hard-to-Fill Skilled-Trades and Technical Roles
Tuesday, 1 December 2026 • Zoom • 1 to 2 p.m. EDT
Finding qualified talent for skilled-trades and technical positions continues to challenge steel producers. This interactive session will bring together steel industry talent acquisition professionals to discuss the roles they are struggling to fill, the recruiting strategies they are using, and where traditional approaches may be falling short. The conversation will also explore how partnerships with technical schools, workforce organizations and training providers can help companies reach and develop new sources of talent.