In a weakening macroeconomic environment, voestalpine achieved a solid result in the first half of 2023/24 (April 1 to September 30). In Europe in particular, economic momentum continued to slow in the reporting period. For voestalpine, this meant a decline in demand from the construction, mechanical engineering and consumer goods segments. Exports by Chinese steel manufacturers also led to massive pressure on the international steel markets. Nevertheless, thanks to its strategic focus on top quality, voestalpine recorded a consistently positive development in its most important customer segments. In the automotive industry, for example, the easing of the global supply chain situation was reflected in stable production. The railroad and aviation industries, the conventional energy sector (oil & gas) and the renewable energy sector (solar industry) also continued to perform very well, bucking the overall economic trend. There was also positive demand for warehouse technology.