October 1, 1980
The European Community did put the Emergency Article 58 of the Montan Treaty into effect. During the summer months the international demand for steel decreased dramatically. This recession caused a price slump of up to 25 % in Western Europe and consequently a kind of "Steel War". According to Article 58 the steel producers had to reduce their production between 14 and 20 %. Due to the fact that Austria signed an agreement with the European Community concerning coal and steel in 1972 this measurement became effective for Austria as well.

November 12, 1980
Erich Honecker, Chairman of the Privy Council of the G. D. R. visited the plant in Linz. He was accompanied by the President of Austria, Dr. Kirchschläger.

June 12, 1981
The slab caster CC4 in the LD plant Nr. 3 went into operation. It allows to cast the totally produced steel into slabs.

July 8, 1981
General Manager Heribert Apfalter published a loss of more than 1 Billion Austrian Schilling in the balance sheet.

April 21, 1982
VOEST- ALPINE Intertrading, a subsidiary of VOEST- ALPINE, signed the first crude oil supply contract with Iran.

October 1, 1982
The district heating plant in the Linz Works of VOEST- ALPINE went into operation. It was the first plant which utilizes waste heat for the municipal heating provision to the Bindermichl District of the City of Linz.

December 1, 1982
Dr. Peter Strahammer became Secretary General. Dr. Peter Pobinger took charge of the Central Purchasung Department.

April 1, 1983
The Engineering Company Vogelbusch in Vienna was taken over completely by VOEST- ALPINE. So far 60 % of Vogelbusch were owned by VEW and 40 % by VOEST- ALPINE.

October 25, 1983
The electronic plant "Austria Microsystems International" (AMI) in Unterpremstätten near the City of Graz was inaugurated by Federal Chancellor Dr. Fred Sinowatz. Ownership: 51 %...AMI/USA, 49 %...VOEST- ALPINE.

October 4, 1984
A supply contract was signed between IBM and VOEST- ALPINE. The VOEST- owned plant in Leoben- Hinterberg produced and supplied to IBM multi- layer electronic cards in the amount of 3.4 Billion Austrian Schilling. The contract terminated 1990.

November 6, 1984
Privy Council Chairman Erich Honecker and Federal Chancellor Fred Sinowatz lead the inauguration ceremony of the coverter steel plant in Eisenhüttenstadt, German Democratic Republic.

April 1, 1985
VOEST- ALPINE was awarded a contract to supply one (1) COREX^© plant to Pretoria / South Africa. Customer is the southafrican Steel Works Iscor. The annual production of pig iron will be 300,000 tons.

July 5, 1985
Balance Sheet Press Conference for 1984 fiscal year. Again a loss of 725 Million Austrian Schilling compared with a loss of 2,059 Million in 1983.

November 26, 1985
General Manager Heribert Apfalter and all Board Members offered their resignation. The minister for the nationalized industry Dr. Ferdinand Lazina accepted the offer of the board and dismissed it.

February 22, 1986
A supervisory board meeting brought light to the real "Status" of VOEST- ALPINE. At the end of 1985 a loss of 11.1 Billion Austrian Schilling.

April 26, 1986
"Super Gau" in the nuclear plant "Tschernobyl". One nuclear reactor exploded, radioactivity was extending over northern Europe. VOEST- ALPINE established a crisis committee since 40 employees were working in the Shlobin Steel Plant in Russia.

September 2, 1986
General Manager Herbert Lewinsky presented in a press conference 900 pages of a concept called "VOEST- ALPINE NEW" ( VAN ). About 60 journalists and media people from home and abroad were present.

January 12, 1987
Helmuth Gröbl together with Ilse Hauptmann and Alois Kriechbaumer established the Geschichte Club VOEST. The historical development of VOEST ("Dig where you stand").

August 1, 1987
VOEST- ALPINE acquired 100 % of Austria Microsystems International, from now on "AMS".

August 26, 1987
Heribert Apfalter, General Manager of VÖEST between 1977 and 1985, passed away in Weistrach, Austria.

January 1, 1988
VOEST- ALPINE Stahl AG became the Holding Company for the complete steel activities within the ÖIAG- group.

May 19, 1988
Hannes Meissner, former lawyer in the Hermann Göring Works, handed over the guest book of the Hermann Göring Company to the Geschichte Club VOEST.

July 10, 1988
The Steel Structure Department supplied the distribution pipe and bifurcation piece, with the largest diameter ever manufactured, for the Tarbela Dam powerplant in Pakistan. This outraging performance came into the Guiness Book of Records. Diameter: 13.258 / 7.315 Meters, Length: 4.04 Kilometers, Total weight: 13,000 Tons.

January 1, 1989
VOEST- ALPINE Maschinenbau GmbH became VA Machinery, Construction and Engineeering GmbH, in short VA MCE.

August 1, 1989
The new Plastic Applying Equipment with the product "COLOFER" went into operation. It produces steel sheets with applied coloured plastic for the household appliances industry.

November 23, 1989
The Geschichte-Club VOEST was registered as "Association" with the Police Headquarters.