KNRTU students presented solutions for the development of petrochemistry and biotechnology

The qualifying stage of the International Engineering CASE-IN Championship was held at KNRTU on March 5. On this day, 21 university student teams competed in solving cases from enterprises in two areas – "Petrochemistry" (8 teams) and "Biotechnology" (13 teams).

This season of the championship, students of Russian universities were offered cases on the topic "Technologies of the future", aimed at solving one of the key tasks of the Concept of Technological Development of Russia until 2030, the achievement of technological sovereignty. For ten days, students from leading Russian engineering universities developed projects to ensure the full digitalization of leading industries and the introduction of artificial intelligence and digital twins.

The CASE-IN International Engineering Championship is held with the support of the presidential platform "Russia – the land of Opportunities". The organizers of the Championship are the Reliable Change Foundation and the Non-profit Partnership Youth Forum of Mining Leaders and AstraLogica LLC.

In the lobby in front of the round hall in Building A, an interactive area was organized by PJSC SIBUR, where the company's volunteers talked about internship programs and current vacancies, as well as presented memorable gifts. Those present were also able to participate in the plastic recycling process and create vivid and memorable branded badges using a bicycle shredder.

Before the start of the event, the participants were addressed by the head of the Department of educational and project activities of students Elina Vasilyeva – she talked about the essence and rules of the championship, as well as Vladislav Dybalev, a leading specialist of NPO TN-Biotech LLC, who advised the guys. The guys also heard the welcoming words of the founder of the championship. Artyom Korolev, who said in his video message that in 14 years CASE-IN has become the largest project to solve engineering cases from major industry companies, they are being solved today by more than 20 thousand schoolchildren, students and young professionals from Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries. This is not just a competition, but an entire eco-system of engineering personnel, which is the basis for the formation of a personnel reserve in key energy and industrial sectors.

Representatives of SIBUR also addressed the participants of the Petrochemistry direction, who spoke about the career prospects of the company's young specialists.

The Petrochemistry case was developed by PJSC SIBUR Holding and aimed at developing a model for import-substituting production of specialized peroxide initiators for the polymer industry. The Biotechnology case was created based on materials from a strategic partner, NPO TN–Biotech LLC (Tatneft), and was aimed at deep processing of plant raw materials using biotechnologies.

The solutions of the cases were evaluated by an expert commission, which included representatives of partner companies, as well as KNRTU faculty. Thus, the performances of the teams in the field of Petrochemistry were evaluated by representatives of PJSC Kazanorgsintez Marina Pyrenkova, chief expert of Polyolefins, and Pavel Bondarenko, a leading process engineer for the production of low-density polyethylene. The jury also included KNRTU teachers. Artyom Bezrukov, Acting Head of the Department of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Alexey Gavrilov, Associate Professor of the Department of Vacuum Engineering of Electrophysical Installations, Anna Starodubova, Associate Professor of the Department of Innovation in Chemical Technology, Ksenia Golovanova, Senior lecturer at the Department of Synthetic Rubber Technology, Elena Cherkasova, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemical Technology of Oil and Gas Refining, Aliya Safiulina, Associate Professor of the Department of Basic Organic and Petrochemical Synthesis Technology named after Professor G.H. Kamai, Natalia Nurullina, Associate Professor of the Department of General Chemical Technology.

The direction of "Biotechnology" was evaluated by Nikita Vasilchenko, PhD. Biol. n., leading specialist of the project office of NPO TN-Biotech LLC, Vladislav Dybalev, a leading specialist of NPO TN-Biotech LLC. From KNRTU – Alexander Sirotkin, Director of the Institute of Food Production and Biotechnology, Head of the Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Albert of Canary, Professor of the Department of Food Biotechnology, Milausha Khairullina, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemical Cybernetics, Irina Zaraichenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Logistics and Management, Zemfira Sanatullova, Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Engineering, Leisan Gatina, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Administration, History, and Sociology, Kirill Valeev, Associate Professor of the Department of Wood Materials Processing.

The teams presented their original case solutions – each team consisted of three to five students from the relevant departments of KNRTU, who were preparing for the championship under the guidance of experienced mentors.

"We prepared for the performance very diligently, worked through various tasks, and prepared for the defense itself under the guidance of Alexey Fedorovich Maksimov," she said. Regina Zaripova, a member of the Himtechsklad team (by the way, this team took 3rd place in its field).

For several hours, the jury carefully evaluated the performances of the teams. The final decisions were announced at the end of the qualifying round. Before that, the organizers and members of the jury addressed the participants.

"With your new engineering solutions, you are not just making a contribution to solving a specific task, it is a contribution to the technological independence of the country,– said a representative of SIBUR (PJSC Kazanorgsintez) Marina Pyrenkova. "I urge you to continue your activities in this direction, go ahead, develop, be brave!"

"This year, the defenses were stronger than in previous years," he believes. Oksana Lavrova, Associate Professor of the Department of Organic Chemistry named after Academician A.E. Arbuzov. – Our students worked very well, we had a team of first–year students at Petrochemistry, and it wasn't even clear because their solutions were so well developed, they calculated everything, figured out the technology, and analyzed it to choose the best solution. I am very pleased that our students are capable of such an in-depth analysis!"

"In our field of Biotechnology, students from several departments of our institute competed – not only biotechnology, but also food processing – everyone who was united by the concept of "Biochemistry", "Biology", as well as representatives of other institutes, even the mechanical Institute, the Department of Wood Architecture," said the professor Alexander Sirotkin. – The main thing in this competition is the opportunity to analyze the performances of others in a short time, to see how the jury evaluates them, to exchange information that can push them to develop, to discover themselves in a new professional plan."

The winning teams of the qualifying stage, which will represent KNRTU in the next stage, are:

– "Initiators" (Feyzrakhmanov Anvar, Zakirova Aliya, Mamukov Denis, Zamaletdinova Dinara) – in the direction of "Petrochemistry". Mentor – Garieva Fauzia Ravilyevna, Professor of the TOONS Department.

– "Biotechnological impulse" (Antonova Ksenia, Burmasova Margarita, Arinova Alua, Minnigulova Sabina) – in the direction of "Biotechnology". Mentor: Schneider, Ksenia Leonidovna, Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science.

The winners of the qualifying stage will have the right to present their developments in the final, which is scheduled for the end of May 2026 in Moscow.

A source