Media Center
On 15th, July, Mr. Shen Bin, Party Secretary of Shagang Group, standing executive director of the Board of Shagang Group and Chairman of Board of Shagang Group Ltd. was interviewed by joint media reporters, including the Xinhua News Agency. Mr. Shen Bin gave an extensive presentation to the reporters regarding current status of macro economy, development trend of the steel business, as well as development goals of the company.
“Every business trough period is always an opportunity time for enhancing internal strength; solidifying the foundation of the enterprise; and accumulating energy for the next move,”
Currently, the macro economic situation is tough and complicated. All steel businesses, including Shagang, are facing unprecedented difficulties and challenges. How is Shagang to get rid of it?
“The only thing we need to do is to improve our capability of resistance and competitiveness”, answered Mr. Shen Bin with determination. He pointed out: all matters are proceeding on a wavy development track. Where ever is a peak, there will be a trough. Every business trough period is always an opportunity time for enhancing internal strength; solidifying the foundation of the enterprise; and accumulating energy for the next move. We have to actively respond to the difficulties and challenges. We have to study, analyse the external policies and use those external policies in a flexible way. We need to work out series of targeted counter measures, in combination with our own development practice, for increasing our internal competitiveness. On the other hand we need to check and review ourselves, via implementing various measures, like: lowering cost, cutting expenditures, exploring possible potential, for solidifying internal foundation, intensifying the vitality of the organization and increasing our ability in risk management.
Mr. Shen Bin explained: as an important industry of fundamental construction material of the national economy, steel businesses have made un-comparable contribution to the high quality development of the Chinese economy. The development of national economy and society cannot proceed without steel industry. We feel confident to the future development of the steel industry. In the next half of the year, we believe the market situation will recover with the new policies which are to be issued in steps.
“To improve the competitive capability of the company, we are going to focus on these 3 aspects: green production, intelligent management and prime product”.
In recent years, “Upgrading using intelligent solutions and transformation to digitized management” is the core measures of Shagang for continuous development and upgrading activities, which have penetrated into all detailed management processes of production, administration, logistic and so on. An intelligent Shagang is under construction. At the moment Shagang has built one stated level intelligent production demonstration base; 7 provincial level intelligent demonstration plants; 4 city level intelligent demonstration plant. “Intelligent manufacturing will increase the productivity, raise the safety level, improve product quality, and optimize the management process. It is going to provide extra energy for the high quality development of Shagang”, said Mr. Shen Bin. And he pointed out that Shagang is going to put no upper limit cap as far as investment for intelligent manufacturing concerned. All related projects are proceeding well with full financial support. We are trying very hard for achieving the level of 1800 tons of steel per person, even 2000 tons in terms of productivity of Shagang in 3—5 years.
Mr. Shen Bin added: to be green in production and to reduce carbon emission are inevitable demands for high quality development of the industry. It is also a natural requirement while the national development has changed from quantity driven mode to the mode which pursuing quality. This transformation is a long-term and complex campaign which is not going to succeed overnight. Over the years Shagang is always committed to the national strategy concerning carbon neutrality and carbon emission peak. Shagang has laid out our own road map for achieving the double carbon target via optimizing process control, product portfolio and the energy using structure; increasing the efficiency of energy utilization; improving the rate of recycled energy utilization and raising the proportion of green product in the production plan.
Shagang is trying hard to get certain breakthrough in the area of low carbon production technologies.
Mr. Shen Bin said, “We are going to put more power on the intelligent manufacturing, green and low-carbon production; and high-end prime product. Shagang performs continuous efforts to improve our overall competitiveness and to make sure that Shagang stays in the first tier of steel business.”
“The development of Shagang relies on the active on-job innovations of all staff and employees, who are creating profits”
The competition under businesses is in fact competition between people. The most obvious sign of competition between talented people is achievements of innovation. Since 2021 over 10,000 innovative ideas from the mass innovation campaign have achieved satisfactory results covering various aspects, like: production, quality, safety, environment, etc.
Mr. Shen Bin pointed out that the development of Shagang relies on the active on-job innovations of all staff and employees, who are creating profits. Every on-job improvement performed by every team-member is innovative. Shagang has setup an internal institute of science and technology to promote and normalize the innovation activities systematically. At the same time a committee with 6 innovation groups (innovation merit scores; high-tech enterprises; technical research project; administrative innovation; mini-improvement &innovation and 6S-TPM) for innovation management is established. A relatively mature management system for science and technology has been built up with various rules and regulations, like: “Incentive rules for scientific and technical research projects”, “Management procedure for science and technology” and “Management rules of the institute of science and technology”
“The future of Shagang relies on the young people”, said Mr. Shen Bin. Young people always play a pillar role in all important phases and all key moments during the development journey of Shagang. For fostering, mining, using and maintaining talented people, Shagang has built a full career development system for the team members, which provides teammates a “4 lane track” with vertical upward progress way and horizontal interconnections. This system is to inspire the willingness of the team member for participating innovation activities and reward their creativities. The high quality development of the organization must have strong support of talented people.
“The spirit of Shagang originated from the spirit of Zhangjiagang”
The 20th CPC National Congress is to be held this year. And this year is also the 60th anniversary of founding of Zhangjiagang County (city). As landmark enterprise of Zhangjiagang City, Shagang, with its 47 years evolution, has been a splendid chapter of the development journey of Zhangjiagang City.
“Shagang grows up from a small plant to a strong giant and progressively becomes one of the leading enterprises of the steel industry. The spirit of Shagang originates from the spirit of Zhangjiagang,” explained Mr. Shen Bin. The spirit of Shagang “self reliance; hard working; dare to innovate; and keep moving upwards” compared with the spirit of Zhangjiagang＂consolidated fighting; moving forward even with heavy burden; put ourselves under pressure; dare to be better＂a clear conclusion can be found that both spirits are of the same philosophy and value. Mr. Shen Bin said that as a member of enterprise, he is not only proud of Shagang but also proud of Zhangjiagang’s spirit. And he is especially proud of the development of Zhangjiagang. The city has been founded for 60 years, which is just the end of a round cycle according to the traditional Chinese calendar and it is also a new start. As a local enterprise, we are going to keep moving forward; keep our original initiative in mind; concentrate on the steel business which is the core of the organization; to achieve a greener, more intelligent and higher quality development; to make Shagang’s contribution for the local economic development and the dream of “a nation with strong steel industry”.