ArcelorMittal : inaugurates its first Digital Lab in Dunkirk

ArcelorMittal today inaugurated its first Digital Lab, located in Dunkirk (Nord), near its largest steel production site in Europe, with the support of local, regional and national public authorities. The Digital Lab will bring together other manufacturers, start-ups, universities and local digital players, with the aim of bringing the best of digital innovation to the steel industry and accelerating ArcelorMittal's digital transformation.

The ArcelorMittal Digital Lab will open its doors in September in a completely renovated building in the heart of Dunkirk, covering more than 2,700 m² and serving as:

• A co-development centre to work with partners (major groups, start-ups, digital companies, universities and colleges) on projects at the heart of ArcelorMittal's digital strategy;
• A training centre for new professions, new technologies, and digital culture, for ArcelorMittal employees and for external people;
• A venue for co-hosting conferences and events.

Located near ArcelorMittal's largest steel production site in Europe, the ArcelorMittal Digital Lab in Dunkirk will focus in particular on three subjects: safety at work, energy and the environment.

ArcelorMittal's first Digital Lab in Dunkirk

Industrial partners, start-ups, universities

Within the Lab, ArcelorMittal will benefit from the contribution of other major industrial companies to carry out joint projects, such as Engie, for energy efficiency, Suez for water consumption management in factories and Ericsson for 5G mobile connectivity.

Partnerships with start-ups will also be developed within the ArcelorMittal Digital Lab, for example on energy optimisation with Ultiwatt, virtual reality and augmented reality with Immersion, autonomous vehicles with EasyMile, and digital management of quality-safety-environment audits with SymaleaN.

At today's inauguration, Suez was represented by Bruno Hervet, Managing Director of Suez Consulting and Smart Cities; Ultiwatt by Hassan Tazine, President; Immersion by Christophe Chartier, President; EasyMile by Gilbert Gagnaire, President; and SymaleaN by Aurélien Castel, President.

Finally, the ArcelorMittal Digital Lab will welcome students from partner schools and universities such as Arts & Métiers, represented at the inauguration by Laurent Champaney, General Manager, Ecole Polytechnique, represented by Larbi Touahir, Director of Executive Education Development, and the Université du Littoral Côté d'Opale (Ulco), represented by its Vice President Carl Vetters.

During this ceremony, ArcelorMittal also formalised the creation of the 5G Steel consortium with Ericsson, represented by Franck Bouétard, CEO for France, and Orange Business Services, represented by Valérie Cussac, Executive Vice President Smart Mobility Services.

5G Steel, which is supported by the French government through France Relance, will deploy one of the first industrial 5G networks in France. This network will enable ArcelorMittal plants (starting with Dunkirk, then Mardyck in the North and Florange in Moselle) to deploy projects requiring high-speed mobile connectivity: mobile maintenance, autonomous vehicles, etc.

'Accelerating our digital transformation'

The inauguration ceremony of the ArcelorMittal Digital Lab took place in the presence of Hervé Tourmente, sub-prefect of Dunkerque, Franck Dhersin, Vice-President of the Hauts-de-France region and Patrice Vergriete, mayor of Dunkerque and president of the Dunkerque Urban Community, who supported the project and contributed to its realization.

ArcelorMittal France was represented by Eric Niedziela, President, Matthieu Jehl, General Manager, and David Glijer, Director of Digital Transformation.

At the end of the ceremony, Matthieu Jehl, CEO of ArcelorMittal France, said: 'This first ArcelorMittal Digital Lab will allow us to further accelerate our digital efforts. We have already developed many projects that clearly position us as one of the leaders in digitalisation in the industry, with the use of augmented reality, big data, models, etc. in our industrial processes. The ArcelorMittal Digital Lab in Dunkirk will take us a step further.

David Glijer, Director of Digital Transformation at ArcelorMittal France, added: 'In Dunkirk now, as in Florange in a few months' time, ArcelorMittal's Digital Labs will also help to stimulate the local digital ecosystem. Our partnerships with local authorities, leading schools and universities, start-ups and other major industrial companies, are all accelerators in our digitalisation and that of our territories. '

In the autumn, ArcelorMittal will inaugurate its second Digital Lab in Moselle, next to its Florange plant. The main scope of this second ArcelorMittal Digital Lab will be big data, quality and maintenance.

The ArcelorMittal Digital Lab in Dunkirk is:

Some examples of digital applications already in use at ArcelorMittal

Virtual reality to learn about safety instructions

After theoretical training, an operator can practice a 'risk hunting' exercise in a simulated ArcelorMittal plant in virtual reality.

Artificial intelligence to optimise gas recovery

By retrieving real-time data on the level of gas produced by ArcelorMittal and on external electricity needs, the valorisation of this gas is piloted, reducing the use of flaring and therefore CO² emissions.

Quality final check with augmented reality

The packaging operator, using an augmented reality headset, is able to perform a final compliance check before shipping to the customer.

Remote expertise with connected glasses

To bring in the best experts, internal or external, even from several hundred kilometers away, connected glasses allow a real-time connection, sound and image, to perform a remote maintenance operation.