As a worldwide competition on the simulation of steelmaking was about to start, Shi Xiaowei had unwillingly got his computer mouse with sweat from his right hand. He couldn"t help being nervous: He wanted to be champion, and he would soon succeed.

"If I won, it would be not only a great honor for myself and my employer but more important for my country," said the 30-year-old steelmaking engineer from HBIS Group Tangsteel Co in Tangshan, Hebei province.

The task for competitors was to produce a specific steel grade at the lowest cost using computer systems and continuous casting in a combined simulation.

To be more prepared, Shi practiced many times a day before the competition. He had already mastered 16 different steelmaking solutions in case any unexpected situations arose during the competition.