Dr. Maxim Zabilskiy graduated from Moscow State University with a Master’s degree in Chemistry in 2010 and earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2016. Following his doctoral studies, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Paul Scherrer Institute and ETH Zürich from 2017 to 2021, where he developed time-resolved operando spectroscopic methods for real-time methanol catalyst monitoring using techniques such as FTIR, XRD and XAS.

In 2021, he transitioned to industry, joining GenCell Ltd. as a Senior Scientist, focusing on materials development for fuel cell and electrochemical applications. Since 2022, he has served as Group Leader for Catalyst Development at Clariant in Heufeld, Germany, where he leads a multidisciplinary R&D team in the development and scale-up of methanol synthesis catalysts. Dr. Zabilskiy’s expertise spans heterogeneous catalysis, operando spectroscopy, and sustainable catalyst development from laboratory to industrial scale. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals. His current focus includes advancing sustainable chemical processes and aligning catalyst innovation with industrial and market requirements.