Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) drew up a plan for scientific and technical information promotion in 2008. The enterprise’s PR Department reports this is expected to help the company seek, investigate, and launch the newest technologies and devices more effectively.

A new STI board was also elected, chaired by MMK’s chief engineer Sergey Ushakov. Then, executives responsible for information research and special reviewers were appointed in every production department. In addition, the board thought through their basic agenda, covering top-priority issues and this year’s business trips to foreign enterprises aimed at experience sharing. Finally, the board came up with an action plan related to launching some new, advanced practices and technologies on the plant’s premises.

The enterprise’s scientific and practical experience will eventually be translated into a number of written works. Articles written by MMK’s managers and experts are to be published by Stal, Metallurg, Chernaya Metallurgiya, Promyshlennaya Energetika, Avtomatizatsiya V Promyshlennosti, Noviye Ogneupory, Ogneupory I Technicheskaya Keramika, and Izvestiya Vuzov magazines.

‘Every year, our experts and reviewers make reports on their performance. In 2007, for instance, 117 reviewers and 102 technical information officers took part in thirty-four reviewing groups’ work. As a result, over 1,600 improvements have been recommended for use, about 1,500 new techniques have actually been launched, and 1,200 innovations have been introduced at the plant. What is more, we were able to resolve sixty-four complex problems,’ says MMK’s PR Department.