Ravne na Koroskem
400 years of steelmaking since 1620; SIJ Metal Ravne employs one-third of town, produces 200+ specialty steel grades for aviation and industry.
Ravne na Koroškem built itself around steel. The first ironworks opened in 1620 when mining engineer Melhior Putz recognized the Mežiška Valley's potential. Four centuries later, SIJ Metal Ravne remains one of Europe's largest specialty steel producers—over 200 steel grades for tools, aviation, and industrial applications. Locals call the mill "mother factory"; the phrase captures the dependency accurately.
The numbers demonstrate the concentration. Forty percent of Slovenia's metallurgical employees work for SIJ Group companies; one-third of Ravne's working population draws wages from the Group. The steel sector contributes 8.2% of national GDP and employs one in ten Slovenians. SIJ generates a quarter of the three billion euros in annual revenue from Slovenian metallurgical companies, exporting over 80% of production.
Privatization in 1992 preceded specialization. Metal Ravne now develops an average of ten new steel grades and 100 new products annually. The EN 9100 certification (2020) opened aviation markets; the ResponsibleSteel certificate (2024) positions the company for sustainability-conscious buyers. Only thirteen steel groups worldwide hold this credential.
By 2026, Ravne will likely remain Slovenia's steel capital—a single-industry town that thrives because the industry continually reinvents. The risk remains: concentration that generates prosperity during good times amplifies vulnerability during bad ones. Four hundred years of steelmaking prove resilience; the next decade will test whether specialty niches sustain what commodity production could not.