Draft:SIJ Group

SIJ – Slovenska industrija jekla, d.d. (SIJ Group) is a Slovenian steel producer based in Ljubljana. The group specialises in stainless steel, special steels and related products. Its two main steelmaking companies are SIJ Acroni in Jesenice and SIJ Metal Ravne in Ravne na Koroškem. SIJ employs roughly 3,500 people.

The group operates a vertically integrated production model that spans scrap processing, steelmaking, further processing and distribution. Its steel is produced mainly from recycled scrap using electric-arc-furnace technology. SIJ Acroni produces flat-rolled products, while SIJ Metal Ravne produces rolled and forged products.

SIJ Group comprises around 30 companies, including SIJ Acroni, SIJ Metal Ravne, SIJ Ravne Systems, SIJ SUZ, SIJ ZIP Center and SIJ Americas. Its annual revenue has been around €1 billion, with annual steel production of roughly 450,000 tonnes, and it is among Slovenia's larger exporters.

History

Steelmaking in the territory of present-day Slovenia has a long industrial tradition, with Jesenice and Ravne na Koroškem among the historic centers of ironworking and steel production. SIJ Group arose from a tradition of ironworks and ironworking plants in Slovenia from the 14th to the 20th centuries, followed by the later consolidation and restructuring of the industry. In 1969, the combined company Slovenske železarne was established, bringing together three major steel centers: Jesenice, Ravne na Koroškem and Štore.

After Slovenia gained independence in 1991, the Slovenian steel industry faced a crisis and underwent restructuring. Before the breakup of Yugoslavia, Slovenian steelmaking was more than 90% dependent on the Yugoslav market. Most of its production was geared towards commercial, low-quality steels, with very high costs, making them completely uncompetitive in European markets. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and entry into foreign markets, the Slovenian steelworks were not competitive in these new territories. Subsequently, Acroni and Metal Ravne were established as separate companies in 1992, and in 2005 the newly named SIJ – Slovenska industrija jekla replaced the former umbrella company.

The privatization process was completed in 2007, and the current ownership structure has Dilon d.o.o. holding 72.223% of the company, the Republic of Slovenia holding 25.001%, treasury shares holding 2.775%, and other shareholders holding 0.001%.

Between 2007 and 2017 the group invested in modernizing production and gradually shifted its product mix towards higher-value niche steel grades. In 2008 SIJ group engaged in vertical integration through the acquisition of the steel scrap collection and recycling company Odpad Pivka, with an extensive network of subsidiaries in the Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia), seeking a greater degree of independence from global steel scrap market conditions.

Vertical integration continued in 2009 with the acquisition of sales and service centres in Slovenia, Italy and Germany. Companies in Asia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America also joined the group in 2015.

In 2016, the merger of the existing companies Noži Ravne and Serpa, along with the acquired company Sistemska tehnika, resulted in the establishment of SIJ Ravne Systems, the third largest company within the SIJ Group.

In 2018, SIJ Acroni took over the operations and equipment for slag processing from Harsco Minerali. Slag, which was once considered waste, is now a by-product that SIJ Group processes and mostly uses in its own production process, with some marketed for construction, road building and environmental remediation.

A center to provide support for the tooling industry in the region was established in 2020 through the transformation of SIJ Ravne Steel Center into the company RSC Holding, 51% owned by SIJ d.d., within which several companies operate to support the tooling sector.

In recent years, the new company SIJ Middle East was established to expand sales activities in the Middle East.

In 2024, SIJ Group received ResponsibleSteel certification for its SIJ Acroni and SIJ Metal Ravne sites.

Production and products

SIJ Group operates in specialized segments of the steel industry, notably in stainless steels, special steels, tool steels and other high-value steel products, supplying industries such as the automotive, oil, nuclear, aerospace and even space exploration sectors.

According to external industry and local sources, SIJ group supplied stainless steel for the ITER project, largest fusion reactor project in France. SIJ Acroni also produces non-oriented electrical steel, used in electric vehicle motors for its electromagnetic properties.

SIJ Group develops new steel grades in collaboration with national research and educational institutions. According to the company, its products include steel grades with reduced weight, extended service life and a lower carbon footprint compared with conventional alternatives. The group has received innovation awards from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

SIJ Acroni’s production process includes scrap processing, steelmaking, continuous casting, hot rolling, cold rolling and quarto plate processing. Its products are used in industrial sectors such as mechanical engineering, energy, automotive, construction, chemical processing, oil and gas, transport, tooling and space.

SIJ Metal Ravne’s production process includes steelmaking, ingot casting, forging, rolling, remelting, heat treatment and machining. Its products are used in sectors such as mechanical engineering, automotive, aerospace, energy, oil and gas, tooling, transport and heavy industry.

Sustainability and circular economy

SIJ Group operates according to circular-economy principles, using recycled steel scrap as its primary raw material input.

Its two largest companies are modern recycling steelworks, which use steel scrap to produce steel using electric arc furnace technology. SIJ Group’s circular-economy approach is based on using around 78% scrap as the raw material input.

In 2024, SIJ Group obtained the ResponsibleSteel Core Site Certification for its SIJ Acroni and SIJ Metal Ravne sites, recognizing the company as one of the world's most responsible and sustainable steel producers. [21, 25] ResponsibleSteel is an international non-profit organization that operates a standards and certification program for the steel sector. ResponsibleSteel-related commitments include safety, workers’ rights, human rights, stakeholder engagement, working with local communities, tackling climate change and emissions, and working to improve water management and biodiversity.

In 2025, SIJ Group launched the Green2 brand, referring to steels produced from recycled scrap in electric arc furnaces using renewable electricity and single-site production.

Industry context

SIJ Group focuses on specialty steel segments rather than commodity production. SIJ Acroni produces flat-rolled products, including stainless and electrical steel, while SIJ Metal Ravne specialises in forged and rolled tool and special steels.