One step ahead in light-weight automotive design, across disciplines and customer-focused
The Steel Division of voestalpine focuses on material development as well as surface and processing technologies for high-quality steels.
Local proximity with far-reaching advantages
Research experts work closely together. Concentration of research and development activities at a single location promotes direct exchange. The results are convincing solutions for material and surface properties as well as processing advantages. Research activities are carried out in three different locations at the Linz site:
voestalpine Steel Development Center
Market-driven products are developed here with emphasis on both the properties and the economic efficiency of the new steel products. Suggestions for improvement come from our own markets, from observers in the development process as well as the concrete demands and needs of our customers.
Tour of the development center
voestalpine Steel Innovation Center
The center is focused on the development of innovative surface technologies for high-quality steel strip and underlying analyses. It is the birthplace of phs-ultraform®, which is a milestone in light-weight hot-dip galvanized boron steel for press-hardened components with uniquely enhanced zinc corrosion protection. In addition, the Innovation Center Steel is the center of competence for surface corrosion testing. 30,000 to 40,000 corrosion tests are performed there each year.
voestalpine Steel Processing Center
From blanking to pressing and from welding to deep drawing, simulation and optimization of forming and joining techniques is emphasized here. The expert specialists at this center provide our customers with important data so they can perform their calculations and further improve their processes.
Tour of the innovation and processing centers
Global R&D partnerships
The R&D activities are greatly strengthened by a global network. The network consists of cooperations with customers and suppliers from a total of roughly 50 universities, colleges and academic research institutions worldwide. The Austrian universities in Linz, Graz, Vienna and Leoben are also partners, as well as the RWTH Achen, the Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Technology in Lulea, the French Corrosion Institute and the Colorado School of Mines.
Facts and figures
- More than 60 years of success in the development of steel products
- More than 3200 patents, 786 of which are in the Steel Division
- 707 R&D employees, including 260 experts in the Steel Division
- € 153 million invested in R&D by the voestalpine Group in the 2020/21 fiscal year alone. Of that amount, the Steel Division invested €68million.
- 800 man years are invested annually in the Group for R&D alone.
