ESR 14 - Egor Moshkin

United Experts

Where do you call home?  Can you describe it?

I am from a beautiful city of Saint Petersburg in Russia. The best way to describe it is to imagine a mix of Paris and Amsterdam, then sprinkle it with some heritage of communist era and big infrastructure projects of modern Russia. And there you go that’s Saint Petersburg, a very diverse and a very exciting city to visit anytime (apart from the period from October to May, …obviously).

What are some of your personal interests and hobbies?

I enjoy art, architecture as well as other Belgian favorites such long distance cycling and having beers with friends on a nice summer day.

In addition, I have a quite successful history of playing basketball, so I try to engage in team sports every time I have an opportunity. I think team sports are great for personal development, not only in terms of work ethic and decision making, but also for learning how to work as a team and make the most of the opportunities that are presented to you.

What is your biggest personal achievement so far?

Probably, my greatest achievement so far is the fact that was able to put myself in the position to contribute to something so much bigger than me. Just as everyone else, in order to be a part of such project as FertiCycle I had to make sacrifices and overcome lots of challenges, but knowing that it all did not go to waste, justifies the effort and motivates for further development. I very much hope though that this is just the start.

What is the title of your PhD project? Can you explain it to a non-academic?

The title of my PhD project is ‘Potential market development and cost-benefit analyses for organic waste based fertilisers’.

The overall aim is to generate insights that contribute to market development and wider adoption of the bio-based fertilisers, which is the last piece in the circular process of turning waste into valuable commodities in agricultural sector. The theme of my research is to focus on two specific areas of market development: (1) pricing and (2) risk management.

More specifically, in my research I am asking such questions as: What affects farmers decision to adopt new fertilisers? What price are farmers ready to pay for the new products? How can producers approach the process of pricing for such specific products as bio-based fertilisers? What are the ways to manage uncertainty (i.e. price volatility, demand irregularities, etc.) that is inherent for newly established markets? Is there an opportunity to find an economic ‘sweet spot’ creating win-win situation for all the involved stakeholders (i.e. farmers, producers, eventual consumers, authorities and many more)?

What drives your interest in bio-based fertilisers?

Bio-based fertilisers are interesting because they have potential to be a solution for a very complex and pressing issue in the essential industry such as agriculture. From the economic and business perspective the creation of a new market is a significant challenge. The challenge that requires innovation that is possible through international and intersectoral collaboration. And as a young specialist I am glad to take part in this collaboration. 

Describe your experience with the FertiCycle ITN so far?

My experience so far has been great. Thanks to my supervisors, our project leaders and coordinators the onboarding and the start of the project overall went smoothly to the extent it was possible in COVID times.

I enjoy the fact that I am working for United Experts (the private consulting company) with a very hands-on approach and in-depth knowledge of the stakeholders, which gives confidence and allows to be more opportunistic in my research. But at the same time, I have exposure to academic environment of UGent, which allows to stay connected to other researchers in similar fields and not being scientifically isolated.

What would you say are the benefits of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellowship?

MSC fellowship is great because of the network. Leading universities, private companies, associations and many more get together and provide great opportunities for development and personal growth through training and collaboration. This combination empowers to deliver high quality research.

Also, it is great to be a part of a cohort of students as it makes training process more enjoyable because you share the experience with others.

How has the experience traveling abroad for this program been for you?

Thanks to my colleagues at United Experts my experience was as seamless as it gets. And Ghent is beautiful medieval gem that you can enjoy on the daily basis along with snacks and beers that you can have with lots of fellow students and researchers who reside here.

As for Belgian weather, it is probably shocking for some, but not for me. Coming from Saint Petersburg it is like a holiday.