A wave of ideas
It is the first patent campaign to date of this type and extent in the Steel Division. Ideas for patents in upstream and downstream processes have been collected as part of a campaign involving each department involved with the implementation of the electric arc furnace (EAF). The campaign has reached potential inventors who had never been solicited before and now requests the input of everyone in the Division, not only that of the 250 researchers. The instigator of the campaign is voestalpine research director Kurt Satzinger with the support of the greentec steel program management.
Innovation? Yes, of course!
The patent campaign is another key factor in the success of the program. Long-term and safe operation of the EAF can be guaranteed only through comprehensive protection of intellectual property and the usage rights for plants and products while at the same time developing the competitiveness and innovative strength of the company in a targeted way. Initiators Peter Atzmüller (patent department) and Markus Brummayer (greentec steel) defined a process that was instigated on 2 May 2024. In Phase 1, more than 100 employees working on the program were asked to provide support. By the end of May 2024, the greentec steel teams in Linz and Donawitz had already received 64 brief descriptions of possible patent ideas. A total of 27 patent applications with more than 35 inventors have now been filed. Two further patent applications are being prepared.
No idea is lost
The topics in the patent applications include the following:
- Control methods for monitoring the quality of EAF charging materials
- Charging process of hot metal in the EAF
- Quality requirements
- Production methods of high-quality, cost-optimized and CO2-reduced steel products
Not every idea has the potential of receiving a Nobel Prize. Patent applications can be submitted for even small solutions that feature the required degree of novelty. Ideas lacking the required degree of novelty for a patent application become candidates in the CIP process. 27 ideas with CIP potential have been identified so far. Thanks to the initiative, a large number of ideas have been formalized and documented with great overall potential.
Source of innovation
The first patent was granted by the German Patent Office in the summer of 2025. Others are currently in the hot phase of registration. When the EAF goes into operation in 2027 at the latest, new ideas will be submitted. Of that the patent initiative team is convinced. The mere fact that a great deal of patent awareness has already been generated is highly positive for the future of the Steel Division. Opportunities for new growth and company value are enhanced greatly through a comprehensive patent portfolio that grows out of the extensive expertise in the Division. The first wave of ideas has been truly impressive and has been a great motivation for the teams. The team members and others will certainly continue to fuel the greentec steel project with trend-setting ideas and innovations.
Brief explanation: Patents
What is a patent? Patents protect new technical solutions and innovative inventions. The holder of the patent may prohibit others from using the technical invention commercially for up to 20 years or charge royalties.
Why is it so important to protect intellectual property rights and rights of use? Intellectual property and rights of use are just as important to greentec steel as the furnace structural foundations or operation of the EAF itself. If they are not protected, the EAF may not be able to operate optimally, or licensing fees may become due and payable to other companies.
Why is there such limited information about patent applications? The application process at the patent office takes an average of four years until a patent is granted. The applications have been submitted, which is why further details cannot be disclosed.
About greentec steel
The greentec steel project of voestalpine is an ambitious step-by-step plan that makes a valuable contribution to the achievement of the climate goals. As a first step, the voestalpine Group plans to replace two blast furnaces with two electric arc furnaces (EAFs) by the year 2027. The investment volume amounts to roughly 1.5 billion euros.
Carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 30% as early as 2029 by making this switch from the blast furnace to the EAF. This corresponds to a savings of nearly 4 million tons of CO2 per year, amounting to nearly 5% of the carbon emissions in Austria. This makes greentec steel the largest climate protection program in Austria.
The two electric-arc furnaces will enable voestalpine to produce roughly 2.5 million tons of carbon-reduced steel by the year 2027, roughly 1.6 million tons in Linz and 850,000 tons in Donawitz. Learn more about greentec steel here.