Fifty years of hard work, and half a century of brilliance. Yesterday, Shagang held a celebration marking its 50th anniversary. Under the stage, many senior employees who have accompanied Shagang every step of the way were deeply moved: "Who would have imagined back then that…" This unfinished sigh reminds people of those pioneering days of passion and endeavors.

Looking back, in 1975, on the bank of the Yangtze River, a small rolling workshop broke ground. Riding the mighty wave of reform and opening up, it ignited a spark of daring to venture and experiment. Over the past 50 years, this "grassroots workshop" that started with manual labor and sheer determination has fought its way through obstacles to grow into a Fortune Global 500 company—Shagang Group, a typical private steel enterprise in China and a vivid embodiment of the Zhangjiagang Spirit.

Fifty years of hard work have carved a magnificent mark of "Tempering a Hundred Times into Steel." From introducing China's first 75-ton electric arc furnace production line, to building Asia's first 90-ton shaft electric furnace; from implementing the largest-scale industrial relocation project in history, to building the world's largest and most advanced Castrip production base. One milestone project and bold initiative after another chart Shagang's path of endeavor from a "follower" to a "leader" in the industry.

Fifty years of daring to be the first have tempered a creative spirit of keeping pace with the times. Today, based on the new stage of development and guided by the new development philosophy, Shagang is thoroughly implementing its "136" development strategy, focusing on the overall goal of Building a World-Class Steel Enterprise, the three core pillars of Profitability, Efficiency and Talents, and the six key dimensions of Innovative Shagang, Efficient Shagang, Quality Shagang, Intelligent Shagang, Green Shagang, and Responsible Shagang. This marks the sounding of the charge to forge A Century-Old Shagang with Enduring Foundation.

A Burst of Spirit: From the Riverside Corner to the Global Stage

       Our Determination is Our Resource, and Our Belief is Our Future. In Shagang Exhibition Hall, this statement by Shen Wenrong, the former Chairman of the Board of Directors, drew countless visitors to pause and reflect. The few words condensed Shagang's spiritual code from nothing to something and from weakness to strength.

In 1975, Jinfeng Town Cotton Ginning and Delinting Factory, responding to the national demand for steel for construction, raised RMB 450,000 yuan to establish a steel rolling workshop, and Shen Wenrong was selected as the person in charge.

At that time, Zhangjiagang was still called Shazhou – a newly established agricultural county formed by merging towns carved out from neighboring counties, impoverished in resources and weak in foundation. It was precisely under such difficult conditions that the people of Zhangjiagang demonstrated a tenacious will to seek change in poverty and dare to strive. This inherent drive, refusing to fall behind and daring to pioneer, has also been deeply integrated into Shagang's heritage.

In the early days, every step was difficult. Funds were short, so everyone in the factory tightened their belts; technology had gaps, so they learned by doing and figured things out themselves; with no raw billets, they went to great lengths to find scrap and other leftover materials from large steel mills; with no special machinery, they manually fed materials, rolling out the first batch of steel products...

During the construction of the rolling mill, Shen Wenrong led over 20 workers to learn steel rolling technology in another place. They slept on the floor, worked all three shifts, and mastered the key techniques in just 28 days. Driven by an unyielding spirit, they overcame one challenge after another. The once "impoverished" rolling mill gradually got on the right track, generating revenues of over RMB 1 million yuan within just one year.

Nurtured by the waters of the Yangtze River, the people of Shagang were well aware of the survival rule that the tide surges ceaselessly and only those who advance grow stronger. They became better at navigating their course amidst the storms.

While others were still producing "low-end common goods" which seemed to be in short supply, Shagang resolutely chose steel window section as the key product, focusing on window section that large mills were unwilling to produce and small mills couldn't produce well; when window section was selling well and the company was riding a wave of success, Shagang boldly introduced China's first 75-ton electric arc furnace with continuous casting and rolling production line, achieving a technological leap; and when the industry faced overcapacity challenges, Shagang again moved a step ahead, adjusting the product mix, developing high-value-added products, and insisted on "going out" to seek new opportunities...

A steel-forged will creates excellence, and spiritual strength endures and renews itself. This constantly urges Shagang to build a world-class competitive enterprise with even firmer conviction. After Shagang's steel output surpassed 10 million tons and entered the "first tier" of steel enterprises, it has continued to expand its steel territory.

Since 2006, Shagang has successively acquired Jiangsu Huaigang and Anyang Yongxing Steel, becoming the largest private steel enterprise in China. Starting in 2016, it acquired Global Switch, achieving "twin-engine drive" in the steel industry and the information industry. In 2017 and 2018, through mixed-ownership reforms, Shagang took controlling stakes in Dongbei Special Steel and Fushun Special Steel, revitalizing the innovation capabilities of old industrial bases in the field of high-end manufacturing...

Each breakthrough has propelled Shagang to new heights. In 2009, Shagang made its debut on the Fortune Global 500 list and has remained on the list for 17 consecutive years. Today, Shagang's annual steel production exceeds 40 million tons, and its leading products cover a wide range of categories, including carbon steel, quality steel, and special steel. These products are widely used in construction, shipbuilding, automotive, home appliances, food, aerospace, national defense, nuclear power, petrochemicals, rail transit, and other fields, with its main process equipment ranking among the world's top-tier steel enterprises.

       Through continuous transformation, Shagang has enhanced its resilience, achieving transcendence by opening up new opportunities. The resilient character of striving with determination, standing firm with conviction, and never giving up has been deeply integrated in the spiritual heritage of Shagang, converging into a powerful force that drives Shagang firmly towards the future.

 

A Path of Innovation: From the Manufacturing Foundation to the Top of Intelligent Manufacturing

 

Keeping abreast with the times to stay ahead, Shagang relies not only on resilience and daring but also on the core competitiveness it has continuously forged through persistent independent innovation.

In July 2025, Suzhou released for the first time the list of 2025 Suzhou Top 100 Private Enterprises in R&D Investment, with Shagang Group topping with an annual investment of RMB 7.758 billion. Throughout the transformations, industrial shifts, and market fluctuations in the past 50 years, Shagang has consistently achieved technological and industrial upgrading through relentless and endless independent innovation.

Within Shagang’s plant area, a five-story building shaped like a ship's sail stands out particularly—this is the Shagang Iron and Steel Research Institute, the first research institute established by a private steel enterprise in China. Serving as Shagang's "super brain," the institute has 7 R&D departments covering the entire process from ironmaking to steel rolling. In the past 5 years alone, nearly 300 new high-quality and special steel products have been developed here, generating the sales revenue of approximately RMB 90 billion.

It is precisely by relying on such solid R&D platform that Shagang has managed to break through at critical moments. In 2015, when overcapacity in the domestic steel industry led to fierce market competition and a sharp decline in corporate profits, Shagang targeted at Castrip technology as the breakthrough point, and determined to gain the upper hand through equipment and process upgrades.

In 2019, the world's fourth and China's first Castrip production line realized industrial operation at Shagang. Transforming molten steel into cast strip in 0.1 second and completing the entire process in just 30 seconds, the production line is only 50 meters long—one-sixteenth the length of a conventional continuous casting and rolling line—yet it reduces 95% gas consumption, 80% water usage and 85% electricity consumption during production. By 2023, Shagang had built the world's largest Castrip production base, accomplishing in just 4 years what took the global steel industry 150 years to develop. More importantly, over 90% of core equipment for Shagang's Castrip lines are manufactured domestically, marking a significant leap from following to leading in Castrip technology and setting a new benchmark for the industry.

Wherever new technologies emerge, Shagang is there. On the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, Shagang provided the framework beams supporting Yangtze River Delta integration; in the West-East Gas Transmission project, Shagang provided the mass pipeline steel that have woven the underground pipeline network stretching for thousands of kilometers; with the mass supply of non-grain-oriented silicon steel with a thickness of only 0.2 mm to leading new energy vehicle manufacturers like Leapmotor and Chery, Shagang has become an indispensable link in emerging industrial chains. To date, Shagang's products have had technical reserves of over 150 series and more than 14,000 varieties, with many R&D achievements filling in domestic gaps and providing strong support for securing China's supply of high-end steel products.

"I believe steel will remain a core material fifty years from now, but the steel of the future will undoubtedly be different. Enterprises must continuously innovate to avoid being left behind by the times," said Shen Bin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shagang Group.

Facing a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, Shagang is focusing on breakthroughs in key core technologies. Relying on platforms including Shagang Iron and Steel Research Institute and Dongbei Special Steel Research Institute, Shagang is fully committed to becoming a source of original technologies. At the same time, Shagang is actively building an open and collaborative R&D ecosystem, engaging in in-depth cooperation with universities, research institutions and other industry innovators to promote the integration of industry, education, research and application.

"Innovation-driven is, in essence, talent-driven," emphasized Shen Bin. To stimulate innovation across the entire workforce, Shagang has established a chief expert system, flexibly introduced high-level talents, and set up R&D platforms in talent-gathering cities to attract outstanding teams. Empowered through mechanisms, every employee could become a participant and promoter of innovation, which continuously unleashes Shagang's endogenous motivation.

 

A Land of Responsibility: Interpreting Original Aspirations with Contemporary Duty

 

 

 

In this summer, nearly 400 newly recruited university graduates of the class of 2025 entered Shagang with dream and passion. What they experienced at the Home of Staff was not just comprehensive facilities for rest, entertainment, reading, and fitness, but also an overwhelming sense of warmth and belonging. For young people, Shagang is not only the starting point of their careers, but also a caring "big family."

Here, Shagang provides standard benefits including the five social insurances and one housing fund, paid annual leaves and holiday greetings. Thoughtful policies like free apartments for different age groups, low-rent housing for married couples, and childcare subsidies ease employees' worries. Institutional arrangements such as assistance with children's school enrollment, after-school extended care, and support for illness demonstrate care in every detail. Since 2009, Shagang has specifically established a public welfare fund of over RMB 10 million. The corporate atmosphere of producing steel while cultivating people has become a unique humanistic character of Shagang's culture.

After multiple rounds of industry capacity adjustments, Shagang has maintained steady development, with a highly stable workforce for decades. Adhering to the operational philosophy of keeping adequate reserves, Shagang stores sufficient funds for sustainable development, ensuring long-term employment stability for its employees.

Shagang's sense of responsibility extends broadly into the society. Since its establishment, Shagang has actively participated in charitable causes, such as donating to education, building bridges and roads, flood relief and disaster mitigation, and poverty alleviation, with cumulative donations of over RMB 1 billion. Since 1989, Shagang has employed nearly 6,000 local farmers and hired a large number of migrant workers from less developed areas. Shagang actively promotes youth volunteer activities, creating a series of distinctive volunteer activity brands such as Shagang Artisans, Care and Assistance, and Low-Carbon Environmental Protection. In 2024 alone, Shagang hosted over 160 volunteer service activities, with total service hours exceeding 39,000... Shagang not only addresses "its own affairs" but also, through practical actions, interprets coexistence, integration, sharing, and common progress with the country and the society.

If responsibility makes Shagang warmer, then green gives Shagang its depth. Confronting the external stereotype of the steel industry as "high energy consumption, and high pollution," Shagang chooses to change perceptions through continuous green revolutions.

Shagang resolutely implements the strategy of Building a Green Steel City, Forging a Century-Old Shagang, vigorously promoting environmental protection technological upgrades. Shagang has built the largest coal and coke silo complex in Asia, realizing the fully enclosed transportation and storage of coal and coke raw materials. In key processes like coking and sintering, Shagang adopts internationally advanced technologies, with ultra-low emission indicators far superior to national standards. Also, Shagang has created an 8-kilometer green corridor along the Yangtze River, making the plant area picturesque in all seasons. Shagang has put into operation the largest self-consumed distributed photovoltaic power station in China, providing 850 million kWh of green electricity over its full lifecycle... Through 50 years of efforts, Shagang has consistently adhered to its original aspiration of ecological protection, composing a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between steel and society, mankind and nature.

"Serving the country through industry remains Shagang's original aspiration," Shen Bin stated. Shagang shall forever keep in mind its original aspiration, shaping new advantages through green transformation, consolidating development synergy through humanity care, and fulfilling the mission and responsibility of a modern enterprise through high-quality development.