Distinguished by a gold and a silver innovation award, the SIJ Group reaffirms its position as a major driver of innovation in Slovenia

 

PRESS RELEASE    

 

Ljubljana/Brdo pri Kranju, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 – The SIJ Acroni innovation known as "Taking Flight with SINOXX 4542 Steel" has received a gold innovation award. The SIJ Group's success followed the receipt of a silver award for its SITHERM S360 R, an innovative tool steel developed at SIJ Metal Ravne. The awards reaffirm the SIJ Group's position as a leading driver of innovation in Slovenia. The innovation awards were presented yesterday by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS) as part of Innovation Day. A total of 12 gold and 25 silver awards were granted, along with a special award for the best young company and an award for the best innovation, as chosen by the public.

 

The SIJ Group is distinguished by a high level of innovation, which serves as a foundation for development and ensures that the company enjoys continued growth and a solid competitive position. This was reaffirmed yesterday, on 27 September 2017, by the gold and silver national awards for innovation, granted to SIJ Acroni/the Jesenice Development Center (JDC) and to SIJ Metal Ravne by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS), as part of Innovation Day. The CCIS rewarded Slovenian innovations with a total of 12 gold and 25 silver awards, as well as a special award for the best young company and an award for the best innovation as chosen by the public.

"With the gold innovation award for developing the production path for precipitation hardened stainless steel under our own brand, SINOXX 4542, SIJ Acroni is entering new, previously unconquered territory when it comes to precipitation hardened stainless steel suitable for application in conditions that pose a variety of technological and corrosion challenges. They join austenitic, ferritic, duplex and martensitic steel to complete the range of stainless steels produced by SIJ Acroni," said Dr. Boštjan Bradaškja, SIJ Acroni/JDC, the head of the award-winning research team, who sees the award as general confirmation of the company's developmental orientation, which involves researchers working closely with top-level management.

Branko Polanc, Managing Director at SIJ Acroni, said that the company encourages innovation at all levels, striving for a 1:1 target, namely one useful suggestion per every employee. "The award-winning innovation serves as a pillar of development, enabling SIJ Acroni to set the pace and increase its advantage over other manufacturers of superior niche steel products," he emphasized.

Andrej Vrečič, head of the award-winning innovation team at SIJ Metal Ravne, is proud that Metal Ravne has created a product that signals a new direction of development: "The new SITHERM S360 R steel is a tool steel for use in hot conditions. Even in extremely high temperatures, it maintains its properties better than comparable types of steel intended for hot conditions. This is due to its high purity, fine microstructure, homogeneity and tempering ability. In short, we have succeeded in combining all the desired properties, which are normally incompatible."

"Rather than following trends, successful companies shape and create them. That is how we see our role in development," said Andrej Gradišnik, Managing Director at SIJ Metal Ravne. Describing how the company realizes its vision, he added: "At SIJ Metal Ravne, we make the most of the specific know-how and extensive experience of our associates, while also combining different steel compositions and technologies to ensure the continuous improvement of our products."