A roundtable discussion dedicated to the Day of Science on the topic "Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Technogenic Waste in Ukraine: Challenges, Opportunities, and Practical Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities" was held on May 14, 2026, at the State Organization "Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine". Holding a roundtable on a topic so important for Ukraine today, especially on Science Day, symbolically underscores the significance for the economy and society of scientific knowledge and the latest, environmentally sustainable approaches in the sphere of extraction and comprehensive processing of mineral resources. The discussion aimed to identify practical solutions for the development of strategically important sectors of Ukraine's industry, particularly the development of a complete cycle for the extraction, processing, and recycling of mineral resources from industrial waste.
Representatives of leading research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, investigating the issues discussed at the roundtable, as well as representatives of state executive authorities, enterprises, business associations, and small and medium-sized businesses, demonstrated their interest by participating in the roundtable - over 70 participants registered for the event, including 44 who joined online.
Director of the State Organization "Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Valerii Heyets focused on the requirement to use the results of the roundtable to prepare practical recommendations, which will be presented at a joint meeting of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Rostislav Korobka, Vice President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, underlined the importance of transforming industrial waste into a strategic resource for sustainable development and Ukraine's integration into European markets.
Researchers from the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Iron and Steel Institute of Z.I. Nekrasov of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine, State Scientific Institution "Center for Problems of Marine Geology, Geoecology and Sedimentary Ore Formation of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" and Poltava State Agrarian University.
Business representatives who are implementing scientific developments in their production processes - from the "Scientific and Manufacturing Firm PRODECOLOGIA" and "Dnipro-Center LLC", presented their experience in applying industrial waste recycling technologies in manufacturing.
During the Q&A session, the participants focused on urgent issues requiring scientifically based solutions:
- technological aspects of rare earth element extraction, specifically:
- practical applications of mobile and modular plants that enable direct processing at tailings piles and avoid the creation of new tailings ponds,
- the effectiveness of physical methods for separating minerals without the use of chemical reagents and the prospects for scaling them up for industrial needs;
- sources of funding for such technologies, opportunities to attract EU grant programs,
- integration of results into value chains,
- the need to attract young specialists,
- support for innovative laboratories,
- partnerships with Ukrainian research institutions to develop comprehensive solutions.
The roundtable resulted from the long-term work of scientists, government authorities, businesses, and civil society organizations, noted the event's moderator, Dr. of Economics Oksana Kushnirenko, leading researcher in the Department of Trade and Industrial Policy at the State Organization "Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine".
Thanks to this partnership, it's now possible to create a long-term platform for cooperation, where economists will evaluate the effects, geologists and technical experts will suggest technologies, and businesses will put them into practice. This will be the basis for creating a cluster in the tech-waste processing sector that integrates scientific research and manufacturing solutions.
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