20 Years of «Roshimreaktiv». Interview with Irina Vendilo for the information and analytical journal «Chemical Expert»
Usually, an anniversary is a reason to pause, relax, sit in the birthday person’s chair, accepting congratulations from friends and colleagues. But for the executives of the association’s companies, the memorable date passed unnoticed. On January 16, a presidential instruction was published to increase the production volume of low-tonnage chemical products by 30% by 2025, and the Association’s management collectively prepared proposals for support measures for Russian LTCH developers. As a result, association members met the anniversary by discussing the future of the Russian low-tonnage chemical industry. «In my opinion, the best way to celebrate the association’s birthday,» believes General Director Irina Vendilo. Irina Vendilo herself is rarely found in her office. It’s easier to meet her at another government meeting, business forum, or round table. The Association’s companies make history of the domestic chemical industry every day in the most complex and product-saturated segment: low-tonnage chemistry. Nevertheless, «Chemical Expert» managed to meet with Irina Vendilo on her way to the «Congress on Oil Refining and Petrochemistry 2021» in St. Petersburg and talk about the most important moments in the association’s history.
Import Substitution Roadmap
Despite the fact that low-tonnage chemistry is the most science-intensive and innovative sector of the chemical industry, in Russia it is still not developing fast enough to meet the needs of the domestic market. Four years ago in Russia, the share of low-tonnage chemical products in the total volume of chemical production was only 9%, while abroad this figure reaches 35%. Russian industry, including its strategically important sectors such as pharmaceuticals and electronics production, mainly uses imported low-tonnage products, but this situation is beginning to change actively.
The first serious steps to change the current situation were taken in 2017, when the Government of the Russian Federation approved the Roadmap for the development of low-tonnage chemical production until 2030. The document was based on the results of a study of the Russian LTCH market, conducted by Strategy Partners together with the «Roshimreaktiv» association. «The roadmap made it possible to focus state support measures on chemical products with an import share of 40% and above. What is especially important, the roadmap described chains of intermediates and highlighted those raw material components related to medium-tonnage chemistry that Russian LTCH producers lack. In Russia, the deficit of medium-tonnage raw materials is one of the main constraining factors for the development of low-tonnage production,» Irina Vendilo says about the document’s significance.
After the roadmap’s publication, the situation with “low-tonnage” was moved off dead center: more than 50 projects related to LTCH were launched. By 2020, the share of low-tonnage products produced in Russia increased to 15%. «However, it is premature to talk about significant breakthroughs in import substitution yet. For example, in 2019 compared to 2017, the import of chemical reagents in tonnage increased by 4 thousand tons, and in monetary terms increased by $100 million. The import of chemical products for electronics increased in monetary terms by $70 million,» notes Irina Vendilo.
COVID-19 Pandemic: How Low-Tonnage Producers Helped Pharmaceutical Companies
One reason for the slow growth of the domestic range of low-tonnage products is the inertia of Russian consumers. «It is not uncommon for Russian low-tonnage producers to establish production of a new reagent, but initially only a few Russian companies buy it, and it takes significant time to win over Russian consumers. They are already accustomed to using foreign analogues, so why should they switch to Russian products if everything works as it is?» The risks of dependence on imported low-tonnage raw materials were reminded by the COVID-19 pandemic that erupted in 2020. The introduction of quarantine measures and border closures led to a shortage of various low-tonnage products. The shortage of low-tonnage chemistry posed a particular threat to the pharmaceutical industry, whose products became critically important in the ensuing crisis. «In spring, many Russian pharmaceutical companies turned to Russian low-tonnage producers for help. Operational groups were created where we, representatives of pharma, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade exchanged information about which substances were needed at the moment. The companies – members of our association tried to quickly fill the arising deficit. For example, in a short time, we managed to establish the production of methyl acetate of special purity, acrylic thickeners, technical boric ester, and other products,» recalls Irina Vendilo. But Russian chemists were able to quickly establish the production of these low-tonnage products because the technologies were already partially developed and mastered. However, establishing the production of many low-tonnage substances for pharma requires time and investment in R&D. Now «Roshimreaktiv» is actively participating in discussions about the possibility of including in the «Pharma-2030» strategy the need to establish the production of low-tonnage chemical products critically important for pharmaceutical productions.
Education and Training of New Personnel
Negotiations, negotiations, and more negotiations: with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with large chemical businesses, with pharmaceutical manufacturers and other current and future consumers of Russian low-tonnage chemistry – these are the weekdays of the association. But even in such a busy schedule, «Roshimreaktiv» finds time for educational activities. Here are just a few examples: every year, together with the FBU «ROSTEST-Moscow», the association holds the competition «For Ensuring High Accuracy of Measurements in Analytical Chemistry», which awards the best domestic manufacturers of control and measuring, laboratory equipment, and chemical reagents. The association also actively participates in significant specialized Russian and foreign exhibitions, such as «Chemistry», «Analitika Expo», Achema, etc. – at these, «Roshimreaktiv» not only organizes a collective stand showcasing the latest developments of member companies but also holds round tables and conferences. The association does not forget about the younger generation of future chemists, speaking at Career Days at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology and helping specialized universities improve training programs in low-tonnage chemistry.
We are also developing relevant professional standards and, together with JSC «Kupavnareaktiv», support the Mendeleev Classes program of the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, which gives schoolchildren access to laboratory practice and experiments, enhancing the prestige of the profession and improving the quality of chemical education in the regions.