Steel industry has a chance to become a symbol of Ukraine’s revival – Povazhnyi

Ukraine’s iron and steel sector can become a symbol of the country’s revival. This opinion was expressed by Oleksandr Povazhnyi, Rector of Metinvest Polytechnic, the first non-state iron and steel university, during the international conference MININGMETALTECH 2024.

The event took place on November 28-29, 2024, and brought together more than 200 participants, including leading scientists, top managers of Metinvest, and representatives of technical universities from all over Ukraine.

The conference provided a platform for discussing the prospects of iron and steel industry as the foundation of the country’s economic development. Key topics included energy efficiency, digitalization of production, environmental friendliness and modernization of engineering education. A special emphasis was placed on the green transition of the Ukrainian steel industry, which includes the introduction of new direct reduction technologies. Stanislav Zinchenko, CEO of GMK Center, highlighted one of these topics, in particular, the green transformation of the steel industry in the EU in 2020-2035 and the prospects for Ukrainian steelmaking in his report.

“The mining and metallurgical industry has always been a pillar of the economy, but today it has the chance to become a symbol of its revival. It is not only the foundation of infrastructure but also one of the key export sectors that ensures economic resilience for the country. I am confident that the integration of science, business, and education will create conditions for the sustainable development of the industry, and therefore, for Ukraine’s successful future,” said Rector of Metinvest Polytechnic at the opening of the conference.

He also emphasized that the integration of these three components is the foundation for the transformation of the industry. Education plays a special role in this. The university aims to train a new generation of professionals who are able not only to meet modern challenges but also to introduce innovations, contributing to the modernization of the iron and steel sector.

Metinvest’s position on human resources support is particularly noteworthy. According to Tatyana Petruk, Director of Sustainable Development and Human Resources, the company’s key priority is to develop vocational training and adaptation programs for veterans returning to civilian life. She emphasized that the shortage of engineering personnel encourages the company to invest more actively in training specialists through cooperation with universities, in particular with Metinvest Polytechnic.

Another important aspect of the discussion was the role of women in the iron and steel industry. The conference participants noted that women are increasingly occupying positions that were traditionally considered “male”, which indicates a change in approaches to gender equality in the industry.

The MININGMETALTECH 2024 conference showed that the Ukrainian iron and steel industry can become not only the country’s economic backbone but also a symbol of its renewal. The integration of business, technology and education opens up new opportunities for the modernization of the industry, which is an important step towards building a modern Ukrainian economy.

Metinvest has allocated UAH 8 billion to help Ukraine and its citizens since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, including UAH 4.4 billion for the army as part of the Steel Front military initiative.

Metinvest is making plans for Ukraine’s post-war recovery by introducing sustainable construction and green transformation projects. The company remains one of the most reliable donors and partners in building Ukraine’s economy.