As the UAE’s largest steel and building materials producer, EMSTEEL is reshaping the global industrial landscape by embedding artificial intelligence, advanced connectivity, and blockchain into every layer of its operations. In an exclusive with Technical Review Middle East, Group Chief Technology Officer Vladimir Arshinov shared how the company’s tech-driven strategy is setting new benchmarks for efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of technology to enhance every aspect of our business — from manufacturing and customer experience to safety, sustainability, R&D, and beyond,” said Arshinov.
AI Driving Industrial Transformation
In recent years, EMSTEEL has launched over 30 AI-powered solutions, including its flagship innovation — the world’s first AI-led Green Steel Monitoring & Certification System. This cloud-based platform calculates emissions at the heat level, ensures blockchain-enabled traceability, and provides a digital wallet for carbon credits. It also tracks decarbonisation initiatives such as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) and renewable energy integration in real time, enabling the production of steel with a significantly lower carbon footprint.
Beyond green steel, AI tools optimise energy-intensive processes in electric arc furnaces, direct reduction plants, and rolling mills — fine-tuning operations to improve both environmental and financial outcomes. AI-driven computer vision systems further enhance workplace safety by detecting missing PPE and unsafe behaviours on the factory floor.
5G Connectivity for Real-Time Decision Making
EMSTEEL has built one of the UAE’s first private 5G networks designed for Industry 4.0. This dedicated network links sensors, drones, barcode scanners, and AI-enabled safety cameras to a centralised data hub, enabling real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance.
The system connects smart helmets and safety cameras, detecting hazards instantly and alerting safety managers for immediate intervention. “We are creating a safer, smarter, and more efficient manufacturing environment,” Arshinov explained.
Blockchain for Transparency and Trust
Blockchain underpins the Green Steel Certification System, providing a tamper-proof record of emissions data and operational metrics from production to delivery. “It ensures our sustainability data is fully transparent, traceable, and immutable,” Arshinov noted.
Overcoming the Challenges of Scale
Scaling advanced technologies brought its own challenges, particularly around data readiness. EMSTEEL responded with a company-wide data governance programme to standardise formats, clean legacy data, and build centralised data lakes.
Cultural adaptation was another hurdle. “AI meant a whole new way of working,” said Arshinov. Partnerships with Khalifa University, Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI, and Slovenia’s Jožef Stefan Institute helped train teams and accelerate adoption.
The Road Ahead: Smart Factories and Robotics
EMSTEEL’s “Sprint AI Program” will further accelerate AI integration, identifying high-value use cases and upgrading its data platforms. Strategic partnerships — including with e& UAE and Micropolis Robotics — will bring robotics, “Drones as a Service” (DaaS), and autonomous mobile robots to operations, enhancing automation, precision, and safety.
Collaborations with the Jožef Stefan Institute will apply AI and machine learning to predictive maintenance, quality control, and smart supply chains — moving EMSTEEL closer to its vision of becoming a fully-fledged smart manufacturing leader.
