This sector represents 34% of Basque industrial employment. In the Basque Country, raw materials account for 58% of costs in this sector. The steel and aluminium manufactured and transformed in the Basque Country already come from scrap. This sector consumes practically the whole of metallic alloys, known as "critical materials" due to their high environmental and world scarcity.
Alloy and product ecodesign, efficient productive processes and advanced scrap management are challenges to be addressed and which impact the sustainability of other sectors, such as the automotive industry, renewables or machinery.