From May 26 to 28, 2026, the International Scientific Conference "Current Issues of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering – 2026" took place, dedicated to the modern challenges and prospects for the development of mechanics, mechanical engineering, and related fields of science and technology.
The main organizer of the event was the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine, with the participation of the National Committee of Ukraine on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and leading scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, higher education institutions, enterprises of the nuclear energy sector, and the defense sphere.
The conference became one of the largest scientific events of the year in the field of mechanics. Representatives of academic science, universities, industry, and the international scientific community took part in its work. In total, 316 reports were presented, of which 226 were prepared by scientists of the NAS of Ukraine, 48 by representatives of higher education institutions, 32 by specialists from industrial enterprises, and 3 by representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The conference included 34 researchers from 22 institutions in Germany, Japan, Poland, Latvia, China, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the USA, Portugal, and the Czech Republic.
The ceremonial opening of the conference took place on May 26 in the Large Conference Hall of the NAS of Ukraine. The plenary session began with a report by the director of the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems, corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine Oleksandr Chyrkov, titled "Ensuring the Strength of Materials and Structures as the Basis for Creating Modern Technology," dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Institute. He spoke about the institution’s journey from its founding to the present day, the formation of well-known scientific schools, the most significant scientific results, and the creation of a unique experimental base. He also highlighted developments that today help solve tasks in the field of defense and national security.
On behalf of the President of the NAS of Ukraine, academician Anatolii Zahorodnii, participants were greeted by the first vice-president of the NAS of Ukraine, academician Vyacheslav Bohdanov, who wished scientists fruitful work, new professional contacts, and meaningful discussions. The academic secretary of the Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering of the NAS of Ukraine, academician Volodymyr Nazarenko, also gave a welcoming speech.
The plenary program covered a wide range of current scientific directions. Corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine Yarema Rushchytskyi presented research results dedicated to nonlinear models of material deformation and modern approaches to describing their behavior. Researcher Lidiia Nazarenko from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany) reported on elastic-plastic models considering size effects related to the microstructure of materials. Professor Wolfgang Müller of the Technical University of Berlin presented modeling results of the behavior of 4D-printed liquid crystal elastomers under temperature changes. Special attention was drawn to the report by the deputy director for reliability and resource of the Scientific and Technical Center of JSC "NAEK Energoatom," Serhii Radchenko, dedicated to strategies for extending the service life of VVER-1000 reactor units at Ukrainian nuclear power plants beyond 60 years.
The conference was organized in both in-person and remote formats at venues in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. Scientific discussions took place in eight thematic sections dedicated to experimental and computational methods for studying the strength of materials and structures, mechanics of deformable solids, geotechnical and mining mechanics, hydrodynamics of turbulent flows, mechanics of rocket and space technology objects, innovative transport and energy systems, mathematical modeling of heterogeneous structures, as well as issues of the strength of nuclear power plant equipment.
The topics of the presented studies demonstrated the high level of development of Ukrainian mechanical science and its ability to respond to current challenges. Among the reports were works dedicated to the mechanics of composite materials, processes of destruction and long-term deformation of structures, mathematical modeling of complex media, problems of mining mechanics, aerohydrodynamics, transport systems, space technology, energy engineering, nuclear safety, and resource assessment of critical engineering facilities. Significant attention was paid to advanced materials, digital calculation methods, additive manufacturing technologies, and ensuring the reliability of critical infrastructure.
The conference served as an important platform for exchanging results of fundamental and applied research, strengthening cooperation between scientific institutions, educational establishments, and industrial partners, as well as developing international scientific ties in the field of mechanics and mechanical engineering.
More details on the conference program and abstracts can be found on the official website of the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems of the NAS of Ukraine.
Information provided by the G.S. Pysarenko Institute of Strength Problems
Photo: Press Service of the NAS of Ukraine
