As part of the prestigious 2026 Steelie Awards, organized annually by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), the Chilean company Aceros AZA was awarded first place worldwide in the Excellence in Communications Programmes category. With this recognition, the company established itself as the only Latin American steelmaker awarded in this edition, prevailing in its category over global industry leaders such as POSCO (South Korea), Hyundai Steel (South Korea), and Gerdau (Brazil). The international award distinguished the "Rooms that Heal" program, a public-private initiative with high social and symbolic impact developed by Aceros AZA in partnership with the Government of Chile. Through this project, part of the green steel obtained from the smelting and historic destruction of seized and decommissioned firearms —more than 24,000 weapons processed at its Colina plant— was transformed into modular infrastructure for the socio-emotional support of vulnerable students, materialized in the Tomás Vargas y Arcaya Primary School in Maipú. The Worldsteel jury highlighted the ability of AZA's communications and corporate strategy to articulate a creative narrative of purpose-driven circular economy, capable of re-signifying a waste product associated with violence and crime into a community asset of protection, well-being, and integration for children. For Aceros AZA's People and Sustainability Manager, Aida Soto, this recognition represents a milestone not only for the company but for national manufacturing: "This award demonstrates that from Chile, and from an industry such as steelmaking, it is possible to lead globally with creativity, sensitivity, and shared value. Competing with giants of the world steel industry and being recognized at the Steelie Awards validates that communication is not just dissemination, but a transformative tool for generating real social impact. Having turned weapons into a space of care and mental health for more than 400 children is the deepest reflection of the role that the private sector must fulfill in the country." From tools of violence to infrastructure for childrenThe winning project, technically developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Valparaíso and the firm Continua Arquitectos, involved a circular and sustainable room fabricated 70% with 3.5 tons of recycled green steel coming directly from melted-down weapons. The initiative gave a new dimension to the historic agreement that AZA has maintained since 2004 with the General Directorate of National Mobilization (DGMN), under which more than 200,000 firearms have been destroyed in the country, marking the first time this recycled material has been allocated to a social project with a specific purpose. The Steelie Awards recognize each year the companies associated with Worldsteel for their outstanding contribution to the global steel industry in areas such as innovation, sustainability, life cycle, digital development, and communications. With this award, Aceros AZA reaffirms the positioning of the Chilean industry at the highest global standards of sustainability, corporate creativity, and social commitment.