Outokumpu (Espoo, Finland):

Erkkilä P., Chief Technology Officer, e-mail: redaktion@stahleisen.de

Outokumpu’s vision is to be the best value creator in stainless steel by 2020 through customer orientation and efficiency. This vision steers our R&D strategy and agenda as well: we focus our efforts on innovations that help customers grow and develop their business, and help us increase our efficiency. One of the best examples of customer-led innovations is the H-Series we have developed specifi cally with the automotive industry in mind. Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) constantly balancing between the consumer demands, sustainability requirements and environmental regulations on lower consumption and CO₂ emissions while continuously enhancing the safety, performance and attractiveness of the vehicles. Add the cost competitiveness into to the mixture, it’s a tall order for material suppliers.