About

The Swedish Steel Prize

The Swedish Steel Prize is the only international award for ideas and products that have an impact on future steel solutions, and it attracts competitors from across the world.

More than just an award, the Swedish Steel Prize is a celebration of good engineering. It aims to recognize those who fully utilize the potential of steel characteristics to improve not only their own business or industry, but also society. It also promotes the sharing of knowledge, to inspire innovations that lead to a better world.

Winners of the Swedish Steel Prize display something special. They challenge the status quo and stand out with a method or a product that applies the unique characteristics of steel to create significant improvements in our world. Everyone is welcome to apply and, as history has shown, anyone can win.

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A two-day event

There is more to the Swedish Steel Prize than just an award ceremony. It is a two-day event focused on learning, inspiration and business development. In the days leading up to the announcement of the winner, participants will have the chance to meet peers from across the world, attend seminars, discuss new technologies, hear inspiring guest speakers, tour the SSAB production facilities and more. The Swedish Steel Prize event is a celebration of all the groundbreaking ways that steel is being used to improve our world.

The Jury

All entries are assessed by an independent jury consisting of professionals with extensive experience within steel, manufacturing, product development and R&D. Together they review each entry based on its level of innovation, creativity, sustainability, performance and competitiveness. Out of the box thinking as well as entries addressing the environment, digitalization and/or new trends in the economy are especially encouraged.

Eva Petursson

Chair of jury

Executive vice president and Head of research and innovation at SSAB. Technical background in structural integrity and optimization of steel in design. Holds a PhD Steel Structures.

Peter Wallin

Program director

Program Director for the strategic innovation program PIIA (Process Industrial IT and Automation). Adjunct senior lecturer at Mälardalen University. Holds a PhD in computer science. Has been responsible for the research project portfolio at Volvo Construction Equipment.

Annika Stensson Trigell

Professor

Professor in Vehicle Dynamics a KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Chairman of the Arena for Strategic Partnership KTH-Scania. Senior Advisor to the KTH Transport Platform and board member of the Forum for Transport Innovation.

Anna Öhrwall Rönnbäck

Professor

Professor in Product Innovation at Luleå University of Technology. Guest professor at Linköping University where she founded the Center for Applied Management for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Chairman of the product Development Academy.

Karl Hallding

Researcher

Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Co-director for the Mistra Geopolitics Programme. Extensive experience in international sustainability co-operation and emerging economies. Authored several high-profile reports and books. Graduate from Stockholm University.

20 years of the Swedish Steel Prize

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Swedish Steel Prize. Over the past two decades, the award has inspired creative engineers, designers and inventors across the world. It has also offered a glimpse of the endless potential of steel to change our world for the better.

The prize was founded by SSAB in 1999 as an international award with the aim of attracting applicants from across the world. Today, we can safely say that it has achieved this goal, with finalists coming from every continent – except Antarctica.

When it was founded, the prize sought to encourage all trailblazers, big or small, to show the way toward new innovations – something that is still true today.

Although the Swedish Steel Prize is owned by SSAB, it is open to everyone and has the vision of taking the steel industry to the next level.

Swedish Steel Prize Rules

Entries must meet the following criteria.

Entries must be a method or product that fully utilizes the characteristics of premium steel within SSAB’s product range, but does not necessarily need to be steel produced by SSAB.
With the highest level of creativity, they can also demonstrate new areas of use for steel, replace the use of other materials or show significant benefits.
Additionally, if the entry is a product, it must be viable from a business perspective and a prototype of the product must exist, however, it does not need to be in full production.
Additionally, if the entry is a method: the method must be tested and documented for use in production.

Previous winners

Read more about the previous winners and nominees