Further technological innovation is needed to support the steel industry's high-quality development and its transition to a green, low-carbon future, said experts on Monday.

"Whether it's achieving ultra-low emissions, maximizing energy efficiency, or reaching carbon peaking and neutrality goals, the green and low-carbon transformation of the steel industry ultimately depends on technological innovation," said Yao Lin, chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association.

According to the association, smart factories, intelligent and centralized control centers are emerging as new trends in China's steel industry. The use of 3D visualization simulation technology, big data, and AI in steel enterprises is expanding, with 79.6 percent of enterprises utilizing industrial internet technology for intelligent production management and 57.1 percent for smart enterprise management.

"To further accelerate technological innovation, efforts should focus on building a comprehensive low-carbon technology innovation system, fostering collaboration among universities, research institutes, and enterprises, cultivating talent, and facilitating effective transformation of technological achievements," Yao said.

"More efforts are also needed to leverage new technologies such as intelligent scheduling and resource optimization based on industrial internet, and full-process quality analysis and optimization based on big data, to create a highly efficient, clean, low-carbon, circular, green and intelligent manufacturing system," he said.