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Intangible Assets
CSN is one of the most important and representative companies in the Brazilian productive sector. Ever since it began operations in 1946, it has played an active role in the industrial development of the country by producing steel, a raw material for an enormous range of products.
The CSN Research Centre develops cans in models and formats that meet clients’ expectations
Indeed, CSN’s steel is present in all our daily lives, in cars, buildings, computers, refrigerators and stoves, not to mention the millions of steel packages made with the Company’s tin plate.
The superior quality of its products, as well as its presence in a wide range of consumer segments, has assured CSN’s prominent position in steel technology and innovation, from the extraction of iron ore to the production of high added-value products such as tin plate. In 2008, the Company also began strengthening its brand in the retail market, exemplified by the launch of its own cement, which has the CSN logo prominently printed on the bag and which will be sold in retail outlets.
Other outstanding intangible assets include:
Innovation - Top
Innovation: the can for microwave ovens is yet another breakthrough product
In 2008, CSN invested R$ 32.4 million in research and development
CSN prioritizes the constant search for innovative products and services. With this in mind, it invests in cutting-edge technology in order to improve the quality of its products and keep ahead of the competition.
Pre-painted steel, which has a wide variety of uses, has received a new application in the architecture and visual communications area: CSN Steelcolors. Available in silver, white, blue and red, it can be used in facades, pillars, signs, outdoor furniture and walls. It consists of a Galvalume steel substrate, coated with zinc and aluminum, as well as a layer of paint, offering double protection against corrosion and making it ideal for coatings. It can be specified by architects and decorators when detailing the features of their work.
In the metal packaging segment, which uses tin plate as a raw material, expanded three-piece steel cans have been gaining ground in the food industry thanks to their attractive formats and improved functionality. The first such can in Brazil, for condensed milk, was launched in 2004, following the CSN Research Center’s development of a new kind of steel (CSN TH 390 LEX), which permits expansion at ultra-high speeds. Its success led to changes in the design of other products for the food industry, such as the new chocolate drinks can launched in September 2007. Thanks to their attraction for consumers, these cans give their manufacturers a distinct competitive advantage.
In order to encourage the use of steel packaging, in 2008 Companhia Metalúrgica Prada brought out a can for microwave ovens following extensive research in order to determine the best angle, height and coating for safety and ease of warming. The two-piece can has an easy-open lid and a perforated plastic cap which remains in place during the warming process. Interested clients have already begun testing it with their products and commercial launches are expected in 2009.
In the iron ore segment, the Company has been developing new processing technology, aiming to improve the recovery of ore fines and provide technical solutions for the economic use of the hard itabarites found in the Casa de Pedra mine, thereby optimizing the use of its mineral resources.
Research and Development - Top
CSN, Brazil’s leader in added-value steel products, invested R$ 32.4 million in research and development in 2008. The Company maintained its focus on new products, improving its processes and developing applications for the production chain. Aside from creating new products and services to meet client needs, the Company invests in studies that may generate new demand and broaden applications in new markets.