Endowment of new energy transition Chair
at KU Leuven announced with ArcelorMittal Belgium

© KU Leuven Filip Van Loock

On Wednesday, November 27, a new energy transition Chair was officially announced at KU Leuven, with ArcelorMittal Belgium as a partner.

As leading scientific and technological forces in Flanders and beyond, KU Leuven and ArcelorMittal Belgium will collaborate on sustainable innovation and talent development. The Chair confirms the strong relationship between both parties, where currently 200 KU Leuven alumni are active in a broad range of academic disciplines across the group’s various sites. It includes industrial scientists, linguists, economists, and engineers. ArcelorMittal is funding this chair as part of KU Leuven’s 600th anniversary in 2025.

ArcelorMittal will support the chair, managed by Professor Johan Driesen of the KU Leuven Institute for Energy and Society (KIEM), for a period of four years. This institute provides scientifically grounded responses to the societal questions and challenges associated with energy transition. KIEM will not only establish a collaboration with the campuses in Leuven but also with KU Leuven – campus Ghent.

ArcelorMittal Belgium plays a key role in the circular economy and takes its responsibility to reduce carbon emissions seriously, with a path to producing net-zero steel by 2050. Both as a product and a process, steel as a basic material is truly at the center of the transition to a carbon neutral world.   

The aim of producing net-zero steel is to produce in the most sustainable manner, which calls for collaboration with various stakeholders to make this transition together.

Professor Johan Driesen, KU Leuven: “Our energy system is in full transition influenced by the focus on renewable energy, but also because of external shocks and conflicts. This puts our European industry under pressure. To prepare for a climate-neutral future, we will examine how we can integrate heavy industry into a sustainable Belgian energy system.”

Manfred Van Vlierberghe, CEO ArcelorMittal Belgium: “The transformation of the steel industry to net-zero production is an important challenge for the coming decades. Closer collaboration with KU Leuven and participation in innovative research projects will help achieve this transformation. At the same time, KU Leuven students get to know our company better and gain an insight into the many exciting career opportunities at ArcelorMittal Belgium.”