The three SFI-professors Ragnhild Aune, Gabriella Tranell and Kristian Etienne Einarsrud presented The future of engineering Stardust, the conference most challenging title. The presentation started far way back, with the Big Bang and the quotation: “Nature did fabulous job in providing raw materials for us…but almost all present as oxides. That’s why we need metallugists!” Then they gave brief overviews and examples of how to produce metals from oxides. The presentation ended with energy and environmental consideration and the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The SFI Metal Production professors brought their speech to an end with the follow words:

“Matter is finite and part of our earths inheritance unlike energy, which is given to us in plentiful every day. In order to optimise these finite material resources for generations ahead, our mission must be to balance and manage our energy system and resource handling portfolio better.

Today, we use our experiences in materials production and technology to improve our every day life with a rather short sighted view. We calculate and simulate to secure the development of intelligent solutions that involves making production processes more energy efficient with a lower environmental impact, as well as safer and smarter but we often forget the bigger picture.

In other words, we dream of solutions that will help us on our way to a sustainable and better future. It’s time to make the dream reality – and that is or challenge! ”