According to Rosneft’s press service, the grand finale of the company’s IT competition marathon took place inside the pavilion of the Ministry of Energy at the prestigious Russia exhibition and forum. The event showcased a blend of practical problem solving and cutting-edge software development, highlighting how technology fuels the energy sector and corporate innovation in Russia.
The primary software development arm for Rosneft is the RN-BashNIPIneft Scientific Institute. In 2023, the institute organized four distinct competitions, each designed to challenge participants to apply technical knowledge to real-world company projects. The final gathering drew a diverse pool of 840 participants, including students, early career researchers, and Rosneft experts, representing 60 Russian cities and regions. This size and diversity underscored the program’s broad appeal and its role as a talent pipeline for the industry.
The culmination of the competition series brought teams together in Moscow for the decisive rounds. Rosneft emphasized that the challenges mirrored actual company projects, ensuring relevance and immediate applicability. University hackathon entrants, working in teams, analyzed digital signals, evaluated algorithm options, and developed software capable of automatically estimating essential parameters critical to field operations. In another track, programmer teams built autonomous robotic shuttles, assembled from modular components, and programmed them to navigate a predetermined route while continuously monitoring a pipeline-mounted pressure gauge. The Geonavigation League introduced five consecutive online rounds, testing spatial reasoning, data interpretation, and the ability to adapt to evolving datasets in a virtual environment.
Eduard Timashev, who leads the technical regulation and development division of Rosneft’s corporate research and design complex, articulated the institute’s ongoing commitment. He noted that since 2021, RN-BashNIPIneft has organized a steady cadence of four competitions annually, designed to attract top talent to tackle intricate but engaging problems for both students and professionals. In the IT Marathon edition of the year, two fresh competitions were added. These new tracks were tailored to engage primarily members of the scientific community and company experts, widening participation and knowledge exchange across disciplines.
Participants also explored drilling trajectory optimization using the RN-Horizon+ software package, aiming to extend horizontal reach within productive oil zones. The ability to chart efficient directions and parameters is essential for maximizing extraction while maintaining safety and environmental standards, making such simulations valuable to operators and engineers alike.
Timashev emphasized that the caliber of contestants serves as a strong indicator of the program’s potential. The IT Marathon has gathered more than five thousand five hundred talented developers from a mix of Russian and international universities and corporate partners over the past several years. This longevity and breadth reflect a meaningful impact on the industry, with participants gaining exposure to real-world challenges and opportunities to contribute fresh ideas to Rosneft’s ongoing projects. Timashev described the event as large-scale, engaging, and highly significant for the sector, noting that it helps nurture a culture of innovation and practical problem solving that can translate into tangible improvements across operations.