Safety – a prerequisite to grow in energy

What are your goals going forward?

We've been through a tough transformation phase in Step Change where our goal was to turn Sandvik Materials Technology around and make it more profitable. It is now time to take our business area to the next level, and going forward, we have a clear strategic compass pointing the direction in three areas:

• Safety first!
• Continue the materials evolution.
• Profitable growth in energy and energy efficiency.

This compass makes it easy to understand our journey ahead. Clear target setting, communication, and involvement of all employees are critical elements in Sandvik Materials Technology's business planning process. We have one rule that always apply: Safety before productivity. Always. Safety is always our first priority. We're aiming at zero accidents. Is it possible? I think so. We evaluate each lost time injury today and ask ourselves: Could this have been prevented? The answer is in almost all cases "yes". As long as we have accidents we can never be satisfied. Managers within SMT have agreed on a motto. We call it "Never walk by" – to never walk by if you see something that doesn't look safe. Stop, confront, question or praise – and this is sometimes easier said than done. Safety is of course about protecting all our employees, but it is also a prerequisite to grow in the energy segment. Safety – a prerequisite to grow in energy With her new role as Vice President Strategy and Communication for Sandvik Materials Technology, Lena Berg's ambition is to ensure that the strategic direction makes sense to all 7 000 colleagues around the world and that all operations are executed in line with this direction.

Tell us more about the materials evolution and the energy challenge.

The global energy challenge is a fact. Over the coming decades, more people will gain access to energy and enjoy higher standards of living. But at the same time, these developments will place an even greater pressure on our world's resources, as well as on the environment. Within Sandvik Materials Technology, we can meet this challenge at both ends. Our advanced products and materials make it possible to extract and generate energy in areas like oil and gas and nuclear, but they can also enable a more efficient use of energy and reduce emissions in energy efficiency applications. The materials evolution is our DNA, to continuously develop even more advanced materials is our core and has been since the days of Göran Fredrik Göransson. Our researchers are the best in the world within materials technology and together with our customers; we keep developing the next generation of materials, always one step ahead. What comes next? We often know the answer before our customers realize it. With our unique materials we can make a real difference, by making industrial processes safer and more efficient, while reducing environmental impact. Through our core expertise in materials technology we can really make a difference here, which is something that all employees can be proud of.