Talented Students Tackle Production Challenges

Achema, in cooperation with Kaunas University of Technology, participated in the KTU Gifted project, where talented students delved into the specifics of the company’s processes and offered solutions to challenges in its production processes.

Ramūnas Miliauskas, the head of the company, was pleased with the joint project and the involvement of young people in business and production processes.

”I think it is very important to engage in practical activities alongside theoretical knowledge. To see how the business works, what the requirements are, what the speeds are. After all, how communication works. I think it is good for every young professional to work with an experienced professional. It is very resilient to gradually integrate yourself into work processes. Who knows, maybe we are dealing with our future colleagues,” said Ramūnas Miliauskas, CEO of Achema.

The head of the company said that he supports initiatives where young people immerse into the practical problems of the industry and learn about the real-life challenges alongside science – thus, they can deepen their competencies to address real needs.

”Universities have greater and broader access to the latest sources of information, and companies can receive targeted information on areas of interest. I think this synergy is very beneficial for everyone,” said R. Miliauskas.

Five second-year students from the Faculty of Chemical Technology participated in the project. During the project, students were introduced to the company’s activities and challenges. They were assigned a specific task and a mentor.

“When we heard the task, we thought it was almost impossible. The key word here is ’almost’. We first studied articles, analysed current solutions around the world. After going through a bunch of scientific articles and calculating the preliminary cost of the project, we presented the findings to the company’s representatives. I was a little excited during the final presentation because I doubted that I have enough knowledge to speak convincingly about our proposed solution. However, the representatives of Achema appreciated this idea, discussed it with us on equal grounds and left a good impression,” says Rokas Vaitkus, a second-year student at the KTU Chemical Technology and Engineering study programme. The project, which started in October last year, ended this March, when the student team remotely presented the project to the company remotely. The students’ assignment focused on the use of polypropylene carbonate to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.