Pre-event European Steel Forum 26 October 2026 · Online & In Person · free event

Italian Time (CET, UTC+1)

A day focused on having a look on the present and the future of Metallurgy and Steelmaking: Hydrogen markets, blast furnace decarbonisation, metal additive manufacturing, LLMs in metallurgy, and European research policy, bringing together voices from BloombergNEF, Kyushu University, INFN Padova, the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (invited), organized by Prof. Fabio Miani, University of Udine, Italy (map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/toaHuE5LtYkakBUz6 )

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Pre-event Venue, 7:30 am University of Udine, limited seats (25), chiefly online. Free by invitation October 26  

Scuola Superiore Toppo Wassermann, Università di Udine, Via Gemona 92, Udine and Online

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Mixup Informal Dinner Castle of Udine - October 26 19:30. We will meet in Piazza della Liberta’, the Venetian square of Udine, Free, by invitation, Limited seats by October 12, 2026

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AIST European Steel Forum Spazio Villalta Via Bassi 1 Udine – October 27/28/29

TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2026

08:30–09:00

https://www.aist.org/Conferences-Expositions/European-Steel-Forum/Program

Registration and Coffee

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ESF26 registration includes access to the technical programs on Tuesday and Wednesday, along with lunches, refreshment breaks, and the Tuesday evening reception.   

AIST Members: US $280  Non-members:  US $380
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Registration for the Wednesday gala dinner at Nonino Distillatori and the Thursday plant tours is available for separate additional fees per person on the registration form.

    Gala Dinner: US$100      Plant Tour:   US$25

Program Venue: Spazio Villalta  Viale Gio Batta Bassi, 1, 33100 Udine, Italy

AIST European Steel Forum Pre- event

Morning Session

08:00–08:30 Dr. Xinyi Shen BloombergNEF

"Today’s Two-Speed Hydrogen Market and BloombergNEF’s Electrolyzer Price Survey"

Research Associate on BloombergNEF’s hydrogen team, focusing on China’s hydrogen market, industrial decarbonization, steel, and hard-to-abate sectors.

· · ·

09:00–09:30 Prof. Ko-Ichiro Ohno Kyushu University, Japan

"Beyond Hydrogen Reduction: Challenges and Research Perspectives for Low-Carbon Ironmaking"

Recent research activities and international collaborations related to blast furnace decarbonization.

· · ·

Afternoon Session University of Udine · Pre-event European Steel Forum, 26 October 2026

17:00Adriano Pepato INFN, Padova, Italy

"My experience in setting up and working a metal 3D printing laboratory — people and equipment — for fundamental research and nuclear applications"

National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Padova. Experience in establishing and operating a metal additive manufacturing laboratory for fundamental research and nuclear applications.

· · ·

18:00 Prof. Fabio Miani University of Udine

Host

"What are you doing with LLMs and Metallurgy?"

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Results from the September 2026 Summer School and perspectives on an informal, playful intercontinental contest focused on Nickel Superalloys. AI-Assisted Teaching in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering ?

Activity Report and Proposed Framework for Institutional Governance

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AI-Assisted Teaching in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering

Activity Report and Proposed Framework for Institutional Governance —

Academic Year 2025–2026

Author: Prof. Fabio MianiDPIA, Università degli Studi di Udine September 2026

1. Executive Summary

During the academic year 2025–2026, the undersigned conducted a series of experimental teaching and internationalisation activities at the Department of Polytechnic Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, integrating large language models (LLMs) into metallurgy and materials science education. These activities were carried out on an unofficial basis, without dedicated funding, and were directed at graduate and advanced undergraduate students in mechanical and civil engineering along with students of the XVI (last edition) of the Master in Metallurgical Engineering of the University of Udine which I have practically invented in 2003 is also taught by Materials Science colleagues, and which is attended chiefly by Danieli Group employees - last edition they had some average 5 years experience within the company.

The principal outputs are:

  1. a public teaching repository (the "Sandbox");

  2. (ii) the 8th Mini Summer School on LLMs and Modern Metallurgy (August 2026) (the “Summer School”;

  3. and (iii) the ongoing Nickel Superalloys & LLMs International Student Contest 2026 (NiLLM26) (“the contest”) , to be held from October 1 ending on 26 October 2026 as a satellite event of the AIST European Steel Forum in Udine.

This document is shared with colleagues to colleagues of these three Universities:

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NEU University, Shenyang, China https://english.neu.edu.cn/
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Postech University, Pohang South Korea https://www.postech.ac.kr/eng/index.do
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Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/

And proposed to you as a “try before you buy drive experience”