Science and industry are not separate worlds; they work together as one team to create innovative solutions for the manufacturing sector. This is exactly what Igor Navolniev, a postgraduate at Metinvest Polytechnic, believes. He presented the results of his research at the HighMatTech 2025 International Conference.
The findings presented at the conference mark the first steps in studying the impact of surfactants on pellet quality. The article focuses on the use of surfactants in the production of high-quality pellets when raw materials from another plant are utilised. The scientific analysis was based on the results of a real experiment carried out at Metinvest’s Central Iron Ore in 2024.
"Our research is an example of how experiment and production can interact rather than exist separately. When what we study in the laboratory can immediately be tested in practice, that is when science truly works,” said Igor NAVLNIEV.
He emphasised that this work is the result of joint efforts by the production team and Metinvest Polytechnic, including Volodymyr Kukhar, Vice-Rector for Research at the university; Yevhen Chuprynov, Pellet Production Consultant; and Olena Belan, Director of Technology and Quality at Consolidated Iron Ore Plants. Such synergy between science and industry, bringing together specialists with diverse experience, creates a new standard of industrial solutions.
The HighMatTech 2025 Conference brought together leading scientists and specialists from industrial companies in Austria, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Lithuania, Sweden and Ukraine.
For Ukraine’s first private mining and metallurgical university, participation in international conferences is far more than mere scientific representation. It is a platform where knowledge is transformed into practical solutions, and research becomes a tool that helps key sectors of the Ukrainian economy recover and modernise more rapidly, reaching a new level of efficiency.
"I have been working at Metinvest Group for over 18 years, and throughout this time my work has been closely connected with production – identifying and minimising risks. Today, I can see how science strengthens production and opens up new opportunities – primarily for Metinvest Group, but also for the entire industry and the country’s economy,” adds postgraduate student Ihor Navolniev.
Such stories are proof that Metinvest Polytechnic postgraduate programme is about genuine research with a tangible impact on enterprises, new opportunities for engineers, and a contribution to the sustainable recovery of Ukraine’s industry.
