The international conference, organized by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), was held for the first time in Mexico and Latin America, bringing together industry and academic experts to explore innovations in coated steel, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. As part of the agenda, participants visited Ternium’s Industrial Center in Pesquería.
Monterrey hosted GALVATECH 2026, held for the first time in Mexico and Latin America. The international conference brought together coated steel industry experts, research centers and universities from different countries to exchange knowledge and discuss the trends and technologies transforming the sector.
During the opening of the conference, Fernando Actis, Executive Senior Advisor & Technology, highlighted Monterrey’s role in the history of coated steel in Latin America. Milestones along this journey include the installation of the world’s first direct reduction iron plant in the 1950s and the start-up of the region’s first galvanizing line during the following decade.
Since then, the industry has evolved and diversified its applications. While three decades ago galvanized steel was primarily used in construction, today evolving customer needs are driving the development of increasingly specialized products.
The GALVATECH 2026 sessions addressed some of the industry’s key trends, from the development of new coatings and advanced high-strength steels to technologies designed to improve quality, durability and corrosion resistance. The program also covered artificial intelligence applications and new technologies to optimize production processes, as well as new coated steel solutions for sectors including automotive, construction and home appliances.
Fernando Actis.
As part of the agenda, participants visited Ternium’s Industrial Center in Pesquería, where they toured the galvanizing line.
For Juan Pablo Pedraza, Vice President of Global Research & Development and President of AIST Mexico, Monterrey’s selection as the conference venue reflects the region’s growing importance in the industry’s technological development: “It is a recognition of the efforts and investments being made in this market, particularly by Ternium,” he said.
Omar García, Research & Development Senior Manager, highlighted the value of the conference for the development of new technologies: “It is a conference where industry and academia come together to push the boundaries of knowledge about galvanized products, and that is what makes it unique.”
Ariadna Melo, a member of the Research & Development team, highlighted that one of the challenges currently facing the industry is finding the right balance between quality, productivity, innovation and sustainability.
From a regional perspective, Juliana Guimaraes, Research Manager at Usiminas, highlighted the opportunity to develop solutions based on Latin America’s own characteristics and capabilities: “Sometimes we try to do the same things as Europe, China or Japan, but here we can do something different, building on our own culture. To achieve this, we need to invest more in research.”
Decades of industrial experience, combined with research, technological innovation and international collaboration, position the region to respond to evolving market needs and contribute to the development of a more innovative, competitive and sustainable steel industry.