Credit: ©Michel Brumat
On Monday 16 February 2026, the University of Luxembourg (Uni.lu) reported that it has extended its long-standing collaboration with ArcelorMittal Luxembourg until 2030, marking fifteen years of continuous cooperation in research, innovation and education in steel construction.
According to the university, the partnership began in 2010 as a focused collaboration and has since developed into one of Luxembourg’s enduring industry–academia alliances, contributing to advances in engineering and the national research landscape. A signing ceremony took place on Thursday 12 February 2026 in the presence of Professor Christoph Odenbreit, holder of the ArcelorMittal Chair of Steel Construction, Michel Wurth, Chairman of ArcelorMittal Luxembourg, and Jean-Luc Thirion, CEO of ArcelorMittal Global R&D.
Over the years, ArcelorMittal Luxembourg has become one of the university’s key partners for research in steel construction and civil engineering, Uni.lu reported. This long-term commitment is reflected in sustained investment in the ArcelorMittal Chair of Steel Construction, supporting work focused on sustainability, circular economy principles and reducing the carbon footprint of steel structures.
The collaboration has been repeatedly renewed, highlighting what Uni.lu described as “strong results achieved and the shared ambition to push the boundaries of steel engineering.” In 2024, Professor Christoph Odenbreit and Dr Alfredo Romero received the Innovation of the Year Award at the Constructsteel Annual Conference for their research on wood-steel connections. In 2023, doctoral student Shahin Sayyareh received an award at the Eurosteel conference for a paper on “Petite Maison”, a circular economy project carried out as part of Esch 2022, European Capital of Culture.
“I am proud of our longstanding and trustful partnership with ArcelorMittal, whose generous support of the University has been instrumental in advancing our research on sustainability, circularity, and low‑carbon steel structures. With today’s signature, I am delighted that we can continue shaping pathways towards a sustainable and innovative future in construction,” said Prof. Christoph Odenbreit.
According to the university, as the collaboration enters its fifteenth year, both partners emphasise continuity and future-oriented research. “With global demand for sustainable construction solutions rising, the alliance between ArcelorMittal Luxembourg and the University of Luxembourg is poised to remain a cornerstone of innovation, strengthening Luxembourg’s position as a hub for advanced steel technologies.”
“ArcelorMittal Foundation Luxembourg and the University have built for fifteen years an exemplary cooperation between the academic and business world. This partnership is a win-win for both parties and opens up a wide range of possibilities for imagining and realising the buildings of tomorrow. Circularity and sustainability are key for the construction sector and steel is a material of choice for it,” added Michel Wurth.
The university also noted that future research will focus on steel material science, with a strong emphasis on circularity and the development of steel structures suitable for AI-driven and automated construction processes. The involvement of the Chair in technical committees will support the translation of research outcomes into standards and design guidelines, ensuring impact across the construction sector.
