Keynote: From Islands to Ecosystems: Interoperability as the Steel Industry’s Productivity Engine

John Dyck, CESMII – The Smart Manufacturing Institute | 10am ET at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel, Station Square.

As steelmakers invest in new capacity and upgrades, the biggest productivity gains will come from interoperability — not equipment size or speed. This keynote argues that standardization and connected architectures can deliver step-change improvements in yield, throughput, quality, energy performance and traceability. It outlines a practical path from siloed systems to vendor-neutral, plug-and-play operations using common identifiers, shared data semantics and open interfaces. Standardized information models reduce integration time, ease technical debt and enable tighter supplier connectivity — critical in capital-constrained, talent-tight environments. By creating a consistent data foundation, interoperability also makes AI scalable, turning legacy assets and process data into reliable, production-ready insights. The result is a coordinated, learning production system where every reshoring investment delivers amplified value.