[
  {
    "id": "steel-aedc-county-and-fabrication",
    "title": "Merrill Steel Locates New Steel Manufacturing Facility in Osceola, Arkansas",
    "url": "https://www.arkansasedc.com/news-events/newsroom/detail/2025/08/20/merrill-steel-locates-new-steel-manufacturing-facility-in-osceola--arkansas",
    "published_date": "2025-08-20",
    "evidence": "AEDC identifies Mississippi County as America's top steel-producing county and announces Merrill's proposed Osceola structural-steel fabrication and coating facility. The company cites proximity to raw steel among its location reasons.",
    "status": "official state characterization; announced private investment",
    "caveat": "The county rank is a state/governor characterization, not an independently reconstructed county-production ranking. The announcement does not verify that Merrill subsequently began production; investment and hiring figures are forecasts. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-camsm-establishment",
    "title": "Congress Approves $10 Million Request by Senator Boozman to Support Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing",
    "url": "https://www.astate.edu/about/news/congress-approves-10-million-request-by-senator-boozman-to-support-center-for-advanced-materials-and-steel-manufact.html",
    "published_date": "2024-03-15",
    "evidence": "A-State announces a $10 million congressional appropriation toward CAMSM. Planned functions include mechanical-property testing, diffraction and microscopy, computational materials work and AI; the announcement identifies testing-related transport and shipment delays as an industry problem.",
    "status": "appropriation and announced center development",
    "caveat": "An appropriation and announced laboratory scope do not establish installed equipment, accreditation, service capacity or accepted industry access. Do not add this capital amount to annual R&D expenditure. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-camsm-nist-2026",
    "title": "A-State Secures $2.1 Million Federal Award for AI-Driven Steel Research",
    "url": "https://www.astate.edu/about/news/a-state-secures-21-million-federal-award-for-ai-driven-steel-research.html",
    "published_date": "2026-10-14",
    "evidence": "A-State reports a $2.1 million NIST award for CAMSM under Drew Fleming, with Yeonsang Hwang, Rajesh Sharma and Mohammadreza Daroonparvar. Planned resources are GPU computing, a Gleeble 3800 thermomechanical simulator and Thermo-Calc libraries supporting materials design and processing research.",
    "status": "reported federal award; equipment planned",
    "caveat": "The release does not verify commissioning, operating funds, external-user terms or an accepted mill research agreement. This FY2026 announcement falls outside the plan's historical FY2021–2025 award cohort and must remain separately labeled. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-camsm-status",
    "title": "Arkansas State University Research: Research Centers & Institutes",
    "url": "https://www.astate.edu/research/",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "The university research page lists the Center for Advanced Materials & Steel Manufacturing and describes it as coming soon.",
    "status": "current institutional directory, checked 2026-10-30",
    "caveat": "Undated page; its wording is consistent with development but cannot resolve the operating status of individual instruments. Use the dated award announcement for precise claims."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-astate-certificate",
    "title": "Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Certificate Program is Getting Underway",
    "url": "https://www.astate.edu/about/news/advanced-materials-and-manufacturing-certificate-program-is-getting-underway.html",
    "published_date": "2024-09-17",
    "evidence": "A-State reports approval and launch of a 12-credit undergraduate certificate and associated laboratory, with industry contributions. The release identifies a four-year materials/metallurgical program as a potential future development.",
    "status": "approved certificate and launched teaching laboratory",
    "caveat": "Certificate approval does not prove enrollment/completion levels or a functioning four-year metallurgy degree. Teaching-laboratory launch is distinct from CAMSM's proposed center services. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-astate-industry-dialogue",
    "title": "Catalyst NEA 1.0",
    "url": "https://www.astate.edu/outreach/workforce-and-economic-development/catalyst-nea/catalyst-jan-2025.html",
    "published_date": "2025-01-09",
    "evidence": "A-State's event record describes a steel/workforce panel involving Big River Steel, Nucor-Yamato, Lexicon, Arkansas Northeastern College and A-State, and connects its research agenda to AI, materials and manufacturing.",
    "status": "documented convening and relationships",
    "caveat": "Event participation is not an accepted research partnership, donated operating data or a commitment to fund the proposed plan. Date is the event date; page publication date is not separately stated. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-big-river-current-products",
    "title": "The Next Generation of American Steelmaking is BIG and Well Underway",
    "url": "https://www.ussteel.com/w/the-next-generation-of-american-steelmaking-is-big-and-well-underway",
    "published_date": "2025-12-15",
    "evidence": "U.S. Steel describes completed Big River 2 expansion, combined production capacity of roughly six million tons annually, and existing galvanizing, painting and non-grain-oriented electrical-steel capabilities. It describes ongoing automotive-grade and processing improvements.",
    "status": "company operating/product description",
    "caveat": "Capacity is not actual annual output. Non-grain-oriented electrical steel is distinct from grain-oriented transformer steel, and product availability does not establish an Arkansas motor or transformer manufacturing cluster. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-big-river-dri-announcement",
    "title": "U. S. Steel Announces First-of-its-Kind in the United States DRI Facility at Big River Steel Works",
    "url": "https://www.ussteel.com/media/newsroom/-/blogs/u-s-steel-announces-first-of-its-kind-in-the-united-states-dri-facility-at-big-river-steel-works",
    "published_date": "2026-04-29",
    "evidence": "U.S. Steel announces a $1.9 billion direct-reduced-iron facility at Big River Steel Works, connecting Minnesota pellet production with Arkansas EAF feedstock and steel production. The release states Big River 2 is in full production.",
    "status": "approved/announced private investment; existing BR2 production",
    "caveat": "DRI facility is prospective, not operating. Avoid repeating the promotional first-of-kind claim as a technical comparison without defining its scope. Forecast jobs are not measured outcomes of university research. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-big-river-dri-schedule",
    "title": "Nippon Steel FY2025 Financial Results, May 13, 2026, page 39",
    "url": "https://www.nipponsteel.com/en/ir/library/settlement/pdf/20260513_200.pdf",
    "published_date": "2026-05-13",
    "evidence": "The Big River DRI project is listed as execution-approved in April 2026, with $1.88 billion investment and work completion scheduled for Q1 2029.",
    "status": "company-approved project and forward schedule",
    "caveat": "A prospective completion date is not a guarantee of commissioning or full utilization. Page 39 is PDF page index 38. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-nucor-operating-assets",
    "title": "Nucor 2025 Annual Report",
    "url": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/73309/000119312526127746/d51842dars.pdf",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "Nucor lists an operating flat-rolled steel facility in Hickman and structural steel in Blytheville; Nucor-Yamato makes wide-flange beams, pilings and high-strength low-alloy structural products.",
    "status": "FY2025 company annual report released in 2026",
    "caveat": "Do not assign companywide or combined-mill capacity to the Arkansas plants. Exact publication day was not established in this review. PDF properties table is page 59; structural-mills discussion is page 16. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-hybar-first-heat",
    "title": "First heat at Hybar: SMS group's X-Pact AURA for power feeding DC EAF has successfully been put in service",
    "url": "https://www.sms-group.com/insights/all-insights/first-heat-at-hybar-sms-groups-x-pact-aura-for-power-feeding-dc-eaf-has-successfully-been-put-in-service",
    "published_date": "2025-10-30",
    "evidence": "Equipment supplier SMS reports Hybar's first EAF heat in Osceola on September 20, 2025 and describes integrated steelmaking, casting, rolling and advanced power electronics.",
    "status": "supplier-reported commissioning milestone",
    "caveat": "First EAF heat is narrower than steady-state full production. Earlier first-rebar reports involved rolling before the meltshop milestone. Supplier efficiency statements are not independently measured Arkansas research outcomes. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-uark-cerec",
    "title": "U of A Engineering Researchers Push Steel to Breaking Point in Earthquake Simulation",
    "url": "https://news.uark.edu/articles/80288/u-of-a-engineering-researchers-push-steel-to-breaking-point-in-earthquake-simulation",
    "published_date": "2025-10-29",
    "evidence": "UArk reports an AISC full-scale steel connection test at CEREC, led by Gary Prinz. The facility includes metallurgy and materials-testing laboratories.",
    "status": "demonstrated university research and test infrastructure",
    "caveat": "Existing structural-testing competence does not establish open service capacity, accreditation for every product or permission to use a supplier's results for customer certification. The article's test-day description is internally awkward; use the publication date and documented demonstration, not inferred event chronology. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-anc-workforce",
    "title": "Arkansas Northeastern College Division of Allied Technologies",
    "url": "https://www.anc.edu/allied-technologies",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "ANC lists an Associate of Applied Science in Steel Industry Technology and welding/industrial programs serving steel and advanced manufacturing employers.",
    "status": "current institutional program listing, checked 2026-10-30",
    "caveat": "Undated program page does not establish recent graduate counts, placements, research technician capacity or acceptance of a new articulation agreement. Avoid using national salary illustrations as local placement outcomes."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-anc-internships",
    "title": "Arkansas Northeastern College Internship Program",
    "url": "https://www.anc.edu/internships",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "ANC's employer-linked internship model includes Steel Industry Technology, with paid company work alongside degree study. The page expressly distinguishes internship completion from guaranteed employment.",
    "status": "existing institutional workforce model, checked 2026-10-30",
    "caveat": "Specific steel employers, available seats, recent retention and future commitments require confirmation."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-doe-research-needs",
    "title": "Department of Energy: Iron and Steel Manufacturing",
    "url": "https://www.energy.gov/cmei/ito/iron-and-steel-manufacturing",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "DOE identifies copper/tin removal from scrap, new ironmaking routes, by-product resource recovery and sensor/model/AI integration as steel innovation needs.",
    "status": "national technical agenda, checked 2026-10-30",
    "caveat": "National relevance is not Arkansas employer demand or proof that any local team can solve the problem. Undated current page; do not infer an available funding solicitation."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-nist-circular-metals",
    "title": "NIST Circular Economy: Metals",
    "url": "https://www.nist.gov/circular-economy/research-areas/metals",
    "published_date": "2025-12-18",
    "evidence": "NIST identifies impurity control, direct reduction, measurement science and impurity-tolerant alloy design as priorities for more circular and resilient metals supply chains.",
    "status": "national measurement-science research agenda",
    "caveat": "Date is the page's stated last update (created 2025-09-16). This is a technical alignment source, not an existing NIST-Arkansas research agreement or currently open competition. Accessed 2026-10-30."
  },
  {
    "id": "steel-grapes-power-adjacency",
    "title": "GRAPES: Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems",
    "url": "https://grapes.uapower.group/",
    "published_date": null,
    "evidence": "The University of Arkansas-associated GRAPES center describes industry-funded grid-connected power-electronics research focused on stability, flexibility, controllability and economy.",
    "status": "existing research adjacency, checked 2026-10-30",
    "caveat": "Does not establish a steel-specific utility agreement, spare facility capacity, mill-scale test capability or that device expertise alone covers utility operations."
  }
]