Sector: Machinery & Equipment
Geography: Poland
Services: Client identification, technology screening, direct outreach, meeting facilitation
What the client needed
Our client was a steel industry technology company offering an energy optimisation solution for electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking — a system that reduces melt times and cuts electricity consumption, one of the largest cost components in EAF steel production. The commercial objective was clear: identify every steel mill in Poland operating an EAF, verify technology fit, and open direct conversations with the right decision-makers.
Poland’s steel industry offered a focused target universe. EAF-based steelmaking — where electricity accounts for up to 36% of production costs — creates a direct commercial case for energy efficiency technology. The client needed not just a list, but qualified engagement: companies that confirmed the technology was relevant to their process and were open to discussing it further.
What we did
- Steel mill mapping and EAF screening. We identified all active steel mills in Poland and mapped each facility by production type, furnace technology, product focus, and annual revenues. We classified each plant by EAF status — confirmed, uncertain, or not applicable — and cross-referenced against a EUROFER industry map to locate facilities geographically. Half of the identified facilities we flagged as confirmed EAF operations and suitable for direct outreach.
- Technology fit verification. For each candidate plant we assessed whether the client’s solution was applicable to the specific furnace configuration — furnace size, melting process, basket type, and operating cycle. This allowed us to prioritise outreach to the facilities where the commercial case was strongest.
- Direct outreach to steel plant decision-makers. We contacted plants directly on the client’s behalf, reaching steel plant heads, furnace managers, and project leaders for energy efficiency. We presented the solution and recorded each company’s position — interest level, investment constraints (including Covid-related freezes), furnace upgrade timelines, and specific technical questions for the client to address.
- Prospect qualification and pipeline management. From the contacted universe, we identified 4 companies within a clearly suitable segment — all 4 confirmed both technology fit and interest in the offering. We tracked conversations across multiple touchpoints, documented next steps, and coordinated follow-up sequences including proposals for online and in-person meetings.
What the client received
- • Full mapping of Polish steel mills by facility type, furnace technology, product focus, revenues, and EAF status
- • Geographic location map of EAF facilities in Poland, cross-referenced with industry data
- • Technology fit assessment for each candidate facility
- • Direct outreach results: 4 companies confirmed technology fit and interest in the solution
- • Detailed contact logs for each company: named decision-makers, positions held, technical questions raised, investment context, and agreed next steps
- • Meeting facilitation: 3 online meetings arranged, 1 company requesting in-person visit
- • Within 6 months the client won a tender for over 150 000 EUR as a direct result of the engagement