Future in Steel
Europe faces a monumental challenge: to be — and remain — an economic global powerhouse amid geopolitical shifts, with innovation and development capacity as vital engines. In the video podcast series Future in Steel, you’ll hear leading Dutch companies and key stakeholders share their vision in this field. Each episode features a concrete (future) application of an innovative example: the “Composite Revolution” — a TU Delft spin-off and winner of the 2025 Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award. Hear how groundbreaking science, true entrepreneurship, and an enabling government can make the difference together — and, above all, how Dutch companies can help secure a great future for Europe.
Future in Steel: challenge, vision, and real-world practice — in image and sound.
Future in Steel
Marko Pavlovic: why bonded composite connections represent a true breakthrough
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Europe’s ambition to remain an industrial and economic powerhouse depends on its ability to rethink not only energy systems, but also the fundamental technologies behind them. Offshore wind is a prime example — and at the heart of it lies a centuries-old bottleneck: welded steel connections. In this episode of Future in Steel, we speak to Marko Pavlovic, Associate professor at TU Delft, co-founder of Tree Composites, and inventor of a radically new way to connect steel structures. Inspired by nature and validated through full-scale testing, his composite steel joints replace complex welds with bonded composite connections that deliver unprecedented fatigue resistance, lower weight, and faster production. Hear how Marko explains how this technology works, why it represents a true breakthrough in connection technology, and how it compares to state-of-the-art welding. Going deep into engineering fundamentals and looking ahead to a future where offshore wind structures are lighter, stronger, and built in Europe again. In an in depth discussion with Future in Steel host Maxim Segeren, CEO of Tree Composites.