WU Baoqiao, born on April 12, 1973, is of Han ethnicity and a member of the Communist Party of China. He graduated from the Department of Metal Pressure Processing at the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree and later obtained a Master of Engineering degree from USTB in 2010.
He currently serves as Director of the Section Steel Research Institute at the Technology Center of Maanshan Iron and Steel Company (Masteel) and as a Senior Technical Supervisor of the company.
Since the mid-1990s, WU has been engaged in research and technological development in the field of rolling, with particular expertise in H-section steel and new product development. He has achieved numerous technological breakthroughs and was awarded the title of “National Model Worker” in 2020.
Dedication to Excellence in Practice
Over more than two decades, WU Baoqiao has maintained a rigorous and meticulous working style, accumulating extensive on-site experience and strong capabilities in problem analysis and solution development. As a team leader, he has played a key role in multiple major national and corporate research projects. His work has generated significant economic benefits for the enterprise and contributed to enhancing both the brand reputation and core competitiveness of Masteel’s hot-rolled H-section steel products.
Driving Innovation and Building Industry Leadership
In recent years, in response to the growing demand for strategic resources such as oil and gas—particularly in extreme cold environments—WU Baoqiao has led his team to tackle critical technical challenges in low-temperature-resistant hot-rolled H-section steel. These challenges included composition design, continuous casting control, rolling process optimization, and phase transformation mechanisms.
Through sustained efforts, his team achieved breakthroughs in microalloying design technologies involving Nb-Ni, V-Ni, and Ti-N systems. They successfully developed cost-effective alloy systems for both large and medium-to-small H-section steel capable of maintaining excellent low-temperature toughness and weldability at -60°C. The team also pioneered stable continuous casting techniques for Nb-, V-, and Al-containing sub-peritectic steels without surface conditioning.
WU Baoqiao’s team was among the first to develop welding technologies for microalloyed H-section steel that meet stringent low-temperature performance requirements. These innovations established Masteel’s leading position in the field of low-temperature-resistant hot-rolled H-section steel. His achievements include eight patent applications (four granted), nine proprietary technologies, and seven academic publications.
Building on these advancements, WU led the development of a full range of hot-rolled H-section steel, channel steel, and angle steel products suitable for extreme cold regions—the first of their kind in China. These products passed supplier qualification by the French company Technip and were successfully applied in the Yamal LNG project in the Arctic region of Russia, one of the world’s largest LNG projects. The products generated nearly RMB 130 million in profit and broke the long-standing monopoly of foreign companies in this field.
Experts have recognized that these developments have reached world-class standards, significantly enhancing China’s ability to compete in international markets and undertake major global engineering projects, while also strengthening national strategic security in high-end materials.
Creating Value Through New Product Development
Over the past five years, WU Baoqiao has led his team in developing 56 new types of high-quality hot-rolled H-section steel products tailored to the needs of various industries. These products have been widely applied in transportation, energy, infrastructure, and machinery sectors, with many achieving leading market shares.
Cumulative sales have exceeded 400,000 tons, generating more than RMB 300 million in additional profit. These achievements have laid a solid foundation for Masteel’s expansion into international high-end markets and supported Chinese enterprises, including CNOOC and PetroChina, in undertaking overseas engineering projects.
In addition, through comprehensive research in high-strength and weather-resistant H-section steel—including composition design, smelting and casting control, TMCP (Thermo-Mechanical Controlled Processing), and welding technologies—WU and his team established a full-process production control system. They have also led the formulation of multiple national and industry standards and obtained five invention patents.
Products developed from these technologies have been applied in major infrastructure projects such as wind barriers for the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway and railway freight equipment. Between 2015 and 2017 alone, nearly 300,000 tons were supplied to CRRC, generating RMB 1.25 billion in revenue and RMB 240 million in profit, significantly advancing the development of heavy-duty, high-speed, and long-life railway freight systems in China.
Building Teams and Fostering Talent
As both a Party member and a leading research professional, WU Baoqiao places strong emphasis on talent development. He regularly mentors research assistants and junior engineers, conducting no fewer than 20 hours of technical training annually and building a high-level talent pipeline in hot-rolled H-section steel.
Under his leadership, the research team has achieved multiple honors, including the First Prize of the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2018) and the First Prize of the Metallurgical Science and Technology Award (2017). In 2018, his team was recognized as an “Anhui Provincial ‘115’ Industrial Innovation Team,” with WU serving as team leader.
Reflecting on his career, WU once remarked in an interview:“Having worked at Masteel for over 20 years, I deeply love this enterprise and its transformation. I have no regrets—though I do feel I owe much to my family, as my work often keeps me away.”
With this sense of dedication and perseverance, WU Baoqiao has spent decades exemplifying the spirit of innovation, excellence, and selfless commitment—embodying the values of a new generation of industrial researchers.
