Each November since 2005, steeluniversity has run a Virtual Steelmaking Challenge using one or more of the processing simulations available on the website. Participants in the Challenge compete to produce a new grade of steel specially designed for the event. Each individual or team may make an unlimited number of attempts to achieve the given specification at lowest total cost. The Challenges run for a 24-hour period and attract people from all over the world. Winners from both industrial and education sectors are invited to attend a prestigious World Steel Association event, at which they are awarded a cash prize and a trophy. In addition to the main World Steel Association prizes, other organizations have sponsored local prizes for the best entries from a particular country or region.
As shown in the charts below, there has been a year-on-year increase in both the number of people taking part, and the overall number of individual attempts.
Total number of Challenge entrants by year
Total number of individual attempts by year