OREANDA-NEWS.  August 30, 2012. CEO Chung Joonyang emphasizes ``Securing lead in technology competitiveness through corporate reform``, reported the press-centre of POSCO.

The `24th POSCO Family Technology Conference` was hosted by POSCO at POSTECH. The POSCO Family Technology Conference, held annually by POSCO since 1989 to motivate technology development and increase technological competitiveness, has become the largest festivity and a place technical discussion for POSCO Family engineers.

This year`s conference consisted of 28 sessions including 19 steel industry and 9 non-steel industry sessions including the POSCO Family, with invitational lectures and technology discussion sessions where 273 research papers were presented. Since 1989, a total of 5,917 technology research papers were presented.

CEO Chung Joonyang in his opening speech said and emphasized that, ``Global economy rebound in the second half of this year is expected to be difficult due to the continued Euro-zone financial crisis, leading to high possibilities of a continued low in both the first and second half of the year. For us to survive and continuously grow in such a low-growth, low-profit era, we must change our fundamental thinking and reform our corporate constitution to secure a lead in technological competitiveness and not merely think of responding to a short term recession.``

He also requested spreading profitability oriented minds in technology development activities, self-engineering of R&BD-E to commercialize unique technologies, and ownership and responsibility in developing technology.

Albert Heuser, President of BASF Asia Pacific, continued with a keynote speech with the theme of `BASF: We create chemistry for a sustainable future.`

During sectional lectures, 27 domestic and international specialists, including Yonsei University Professor Il Sohn who presented `Technology Development Direction for Future Environment Friendly Electricity,` presented and hosted discussions on papers on various steel and non-steel themes.

Meanwhile, the POSCO Family Technology Awards were also held on the 22nd. A total of 20 groups received awards where 5 innovation tasks including `Innovative Continuous Casting Technology Development` received the highest innovation award, 7 tasks including `Operation Technology Development for High Quality Wire Rod` received the creativity award, and 8 tasks including `High strength Steel Manufacturing Technology Development` received the leap award.