What Did Future Makers: Junior Cup Give Me?

Vyacheslav Vizilo, 19, is a student in the Faculty of Technological Management and Innovations at ITMO University. Originally from the Kemerovo Region and a graduate of the Melnichenko Foundation’s Talent Center, he now lives and studies in Saint Petersburg.

As a member of team 11_11, Vyacheslav reached the Future Makers: Junior Cup 2025 final, where his team took first place in the Cities Cup.

I changed my view of a project leader’s role

At the beginning of the project, I took a very democratic approach. I tried to take everyone’s wishes into account, resolve every issue at team meetings and consult people extensively. As the work progressed, I realized that the leader must have the final say. That decision should be based on what is best for the end result, rather than what the other team members will think of you — even if someone dislikes it.

This is where a manager’s professionalism and a leader’s talent come into play. There certainly needs to be firmness in their decisions.

I felt the power of teamwork

I remember the moment our victory was announced very clearly. Our team was sitting at a table in the front row. We had not expected first place; our ambitious goal had been third, and no higher. So hearing that our team deserved the grand prize was incredibly rewarding. At that moment I felt the extraordinary strength of our team and immense gratitude to everyone for their work and for completing this journey together.

We had a wonderful day at the competition final!

I changed my degree program

After winning Future Makers: Junior Cup, I realized how much I enjoy this way of working: taking theoretical ideas, tools, knowledge — everything you have at a particular moment — and applying it to practical problems faced by major companies.

I wanted to move from a more theoretical IT focus to something more applied, so I transferred to Business Informatics. It focuses on coordinating projects and managing the full cycle from an idea to a finished outcome, pitching the idea to investors and then putting it into practice.

Egor Semyonov, 19, studies materials science at Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University.

As a member of team Ochevidnost, he reached the Future Makers: Junior Cup 2025 final, where his team took third place in the Cities Cup.

I improved my time-management skills

Last year’s competition really helped me improve my time management, because we had very little time to work on the project. Alongside the competition, we all had our studies and had to attend lectures regularly to avoid being expelled. I was also doing volunteer and community work with several organizations.

We constantly had to coordinate schedules, work out timelines, set ourselves deadlines and meet them.

Of course, we missed some deadlines and had to work through the night. I think that is normal for any large, serious project. Working at night did not worry me, because I had often studied overnight before exams.

Our project depended on experimental data, though. We had no way of knowing how many attempts it would take to find the right conditions for producing good-quality recycled plastic.

We thought we would not get a sample ready in time for the project defense. Only just before our flight from Saint Petersburg to Moscow for the final did liquid plastic finally start coming out of the printer and solidifying properly.

There were plenty of unexpected problems, but we dealt with them because we all wanted so much to finish among the prize winners.

I gained recognition and prize money

Future Makers: Junior Cup is a prestigious international competition, and the Melnichenko Foundation is a well-known organizer. Simply taking part adds value to your portfolio, let alone winning a prize. Our team understood this, and it motivated us to keep going and continue working on the project.

Of course, we wanted to win prize money too. With three people in the team, it worked out at around RUB 33,000 each. We each kept RUB 10,000 and pooled the rest to buy a printer and order a professional plastic shredder from a factory.

I gained valuable experience

Future Makers: Junior Cup is one of the most exciting and enjoyable competitions. I used to live in Kuzbass and regularly took part in competitions run by the Melnichenko Foundation. It was a great experience.

I believe competitions are important for both school and university students. They give you the chance to feel like a real researcher, full of enthusiasm and searching for breakthrough ideas and discoveries.

Sofya Shcheglova is a tenth-grade student at Gymnasium No. 1 in Kemerovo and a student at the Kemerovo Talent Center.

As a member of Time To Work, Sofya reached the Future Makers: Junior Cup 2025 final and took third place in the Engineering Cup.

I gained a clearer sense of what I want

“Going to Moscow for the Future Makers: Junior Cup final was one of the most important events of 2025 for me,” says Sofya. “It was a warm, successful experience that influenced me in many ways.

“For someone like me, who has not yet decided what to do in the future, the competition provided a push and perhaps laid the foundation for choosing a specialization.

“It also helped me get to know participants from other teams better and build stronger friendships. I am happy that I am still in touch with many of them. We share wonderful memories of the final, where we had an amazing time and came away with so many vivid impressions.”

I improved my presentation and public-speaking skills

“A concise, clear project presentation that is not overloaded with information is almost 60% of success,” Sofya says. “The competition taught me a great deal about preparing project presentations. We deliberately tested ours on other people. Showing your work to an expert is one thing; showing it to someone who knows nothing about the subject is quite another. If the second person understands the essence and main idea of your project, it is a good presentation. That is a lesson I have really learned.

“As for public speaking, the competition gave me a solid foundation for future events and project defenses. Now, whenever I have to speak, I remind myself: ‘I can do this. And I can do it well.’”