In the final interview of a three-part series investigating what makes innovators in the metallurgy industry tick, sk.ru showcases the founder of Skolkovo startup Vapour Metallurgy, Dmitri Terekhov.
The innovation is all about creating value-added products from the refining process. Photo:Dmitri Terekhov
Terekhov, 52, is a computer games fanatic who began innovating to wean himself off consoles – just one of the ways in which his story is atypical for the Skolkovo ecosystem.
He has more than a dozen patents related to metallurgy to his name and has appeared in over a dozen scientific publications.
Terekhov was educated in the Soviet Union and after its collapse moved to Canada, where he went back to the university and finished his PhD.
He is entering the Skolkovo ecosystem from abroad and hopes to use it as a conduit to access the Russian market and other territories.
Dmitri Terekhov. Photo from personal archive/
Sk.ru: Can you explain what exactly your company does?
Dmitry Terekhov: "Our group of companies is engaged in developing vapour metallurgical processes for the refining of metals as well as the development of added-value products such as metal powders, coatings, and net shapes etc. Our new Russian company, Rarmetal, will be developing vapour metallurgical processes for the extraction and refining of rare earth metals and other rare metals. The ultimate goal of the project is to establish a vapour metallurgical center at Skolkovo for the development of new technologies and the production of added-value products."
What are the main benefits of vapour metallurgy?
"It makes the refining process greener, more efficient and economical. The deep processing of metals (from ores to the final products) in any given country creates additional industries and jobs. For example, such simple added-value products as metal powders that are used for powder metallurgical production of automotive parts. The knock-on effects are obvious. It becomes more economical to situate the automotive part of manufacturing operations next to the refining plant. This is illustrated by a comparison of employment multipliers: The mining industry has an employment multiplier of just 4.4, compared to 14 for the manufacturing industry."
Other companies do this. What sets you apart?
"Most mining companies are not interested in the production of added-value products, frequently because of corporate culture. The production of added-value products requires knowledge of the market and diversification. It is much easier to sell a few commodity metal products instead of the 100th added-value product. In Russia, many plants were closed because of their size. During Soviet times, the government propped up plants that were simply not economically viable. Today, such smaller metal refining plants can be profitable only if they produce value-added products. Our company is trying to vertically integrate the refining technology with technologies of production of value add products integrated in the same process."
Why should the general public care about your refining method? How could it potentially affect their everyday lives?
"It is the refining method that creates the environmental and social-economic conditions of the area, therefore it effects the everyday lives of many people."
You’re a Skolkovo resident, but you’re based in Toronto? How did this come about?
"I was born in St. Petersburg, and graduated from Leningrad University – its chemistry department - and started to work in the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Macromolecular Compounds. In 1989, we felt that science system was starting to collapse and decided to move out of the USSR. Seein as there no emigration from USSR this time, we got a private invitation to visit Austria. The reason we ended up in Canada is because my wife is fluent in French and our English was OK, but not perfect. We did not want to go to USA. At the Canadian emigration office our documents were accepted without any problems. The emigration officer was an English-speaker and my wife’s French was much better than his (but he has to talk to us in French as Canada is bilingual country). He was using many English words, for this reason I could understand his French. He assumed that we were both bilingual. So we emigrated and settled down after some to-ing and fro-ing to bring our family together."
Do you have any curious, strange, or funny stories as you were developing your innovation? Perhaps reflecting on the differences between doing business in Russia and the US?
Terekhov's pilot fluid bed. Photo from personal archive.
"Skolkovo is my first experience in doing business in today’s Russia. During the last 20 years I was working in different countries such as the United States, China, South Africa, the Philippines and even in such exotic countries as Yemen. Every country has local advantages and disadvantages. It is too early to compare my experience working in Russia with other countries. But as far as I know, Russia does not require the participation of a black partner in your enterprise as in South Africa. There you are: there is a difference."
Do you feel it is your ‘duty’ to be present in the Russian market? What would success in the Russian market mean to you on a personal level?
"I don’t think it is my duty, but rather an opportunity. I have visited Russia many times and see a huge change - especially in the mentality of young people. When the mentality changes, progress follows. I believe that consciousness determines existence – not the opposite."
What made you want to innovate?
"My brain is screwed up, it requires activities. If playing computer games could support my family, I would play all day and not contemplate innovations. Because it does not, I have to innovate and not play computer games."
What is the natural progression in your career? Do you see yourself in refining for the rest of your career? Or are there other areas you’d like to explore?
"I cannot work on just one project at a time. Developing the refining processes is only one part of my professional life."
Can you expand on this? What do you do with the rest of your time?
"I am usually wasting the rest of my time, but I have several projectson top of refining projects including CVD process developments and looking for super-heavy elements in nature."
What has Skolkovo done for you?
"For me Skolkovo provides entry to the Russian market. I would not risk starting my business in Russia without Skolkovo’s support."
The first interview in the metallurgy series, with Skolkovo resident EcoSlag, can be accessed here.
The second, with a startup that's developing a novel way of removing the oxygen from steel during the steelmaking process, is available here.