SWERIM AB

Their core work

Swerim is a Swedish metals research centre focused on decarbonizing the iron and steel industry through CO2 capture, residual gas valorization, and industrial process optimization. They bring deep expertise in steel production processes and work on converting steel industry byproducts — waste gases, heat, and CO2 — into useful chemicals like methanol and urea. Their work spans from advanced process control using sensors and machine learning to large-scale TRL7 demonstration of industrial symbiosis between steel and chemical plants. Based in Luleå, at the heart of Sweden's steel belt, they serve as a critical bridge between heavy industry and clean technology research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2017), Swerim focused on intelligent process control — deploying in-situ sensors, machine learning, and optimization for raw material processing — alongside critical raw materials security. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward industrial decarbonization: CO2 capture in steelmaking, CCUS clusters, industrial symbiosis between steel and chemical sectors, and biomass conversion. The trajectory is clear — from making steel production smarter to making it cleaner.

Swerim is consolidating around industrial-scale carbon capture and cross-sector symbiosis for heavy industry, making them a go-to partner for any consortium tackling hard-to-abate emissions in steel and chemicals.

How they like to work

Swerim operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating — they bring deep technical expertise into large, well-funded consortia rather than leading them. With 125 unique partners across 24 countries, they maintain a wide European network, suggesting they are valued as a specialist contributor that different consortium leaders want on their team. Their project sizes range from small coordination actions (EUR 98K) to very large demonstrations (EUR 11.5M), showing flexibility in the scale of engagement.

Swerim has collaborated with 125 different organizations across 24 countries, indicating a broad and well-connected European network. Their partnerships span steel producers, chemical companies, universities, and research institutes — a reflection of the cross-sectoral nature of their decarbonization work.

What sets them apart

Swerim sits at a rare intersection: they combine metallurgical process knowledge with decarbonization expertise specifically for the steel and iron sector, one of the hardest industries to abate. Located in Luleå — home to SSAB and LKAB — they have direct proximity to the companies pioneering fossil-free steel in Europe. For any consortium needing a credible research partner who understands both the chemistry of steelmaking and the engineering of carbon capture at scale, Swerim is a natural choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INITIATE
  Largest project by far (EUR 11.5M), demonstrating TRL7-level industrial symbiosis between steel and chemical industries with AI-driven control — their flagship decarbonization effort.
• STEPWISE
  Major early CCUS project (EUR 7.6M) focused on SEWGS technology for cost-effective CO2 reduction in steel, establishing Swerim's credentials in industrial carbon capture.
• C4U
  Their most recent CCUS project, specifically addressing integration of steel industry carbon capture into broader CCUS clusters — showing continued deepening of their core expertise.