Moscow Polytechnic University Discussed Industry's Skills Shortage at the Climate World 2026 Exhibition
The 21st international exhibition of air conditioning, ventilation, heating, and refrigeration equipment, Climate World 2026, has concluded in Moscow. This large-scale industry event was held fr om February 16 to 19 at the Timiryazev Centre, bringing together leading players in the refrigeration industry from Russia and abroad. Moscow Polytechnic University, together with Rossoyuzkholodprom (Russian Union of Refrigeration Industry Enterprises), served as the key organizer of the business program.
This year, the exhibition displayed a wide range of innovative solutions for industrial and commercial applications. However, education, science, and personnel training, which Moscow Polytechnic University brought to the professional community for discussion, took center stage.
The traditional conference "Professor I.M. Kalniņa School of Young Scientists" confirmed its status as a platform for the presentation of breakthrough ideas. Participants were particularly interested in presentations on unique engineering challenges, such as air dehumidification systems onboard the International Space Station, determining optimal parameters for nitrogen air separation unit columns, and advanced cooling methods for data centers.
On the penultimate day of the program, the session "Kigali Amendment: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow – Results for 2026" concluded. Participants discussed Russia's implementation of its international commitments to reduce hydrofluorocarbon consumption by 85% by 2036. Experts agreed that achieving these targets requires industry to undertake a large-scale restructuring of production processes and accelerate the development of new environmentally friendly technologies.
The central event of the business program was the "Business and Education" conference, wh ere Moscow Polytechnic University presented its perspective on pressing industry issues. Andrey Ermolaev, Associate Professor of the P.L. Kapitsa Department of Low Temperature Engineering, addressed the audience with a report entitled "Factors Exacerbating the Shortage of Personnel in the Refrigeration Industry." The expert examined in detail the causes of the shortage of qualified specialists and outlined ways to overcome the crisis through the integration of universities and the real economy. Mikhail Galkin, an academician of the International Academy of Refrigeration and professor at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, who presented a report entitled «Business and Education Partnerships – An Insider’s View», further developed this theme. The relevance of the reports sparked keen interest among the audience.
Photo by vk.com/climateworldexpo
