Dmitry Ivanov: The king of his territory

We recently met with the engineer on a cloudy Monday, in Skien. Thoughtful throughout our conversation, it was during the lab tour that Dmitry, better known as Dima, truly came alive, speaking with infectious enthusiasm about his work. 

A deeply curious thinker, his approach to problem-solving is as impressive as the solutions he delivers.

Dima, can you take us back to the beginning. How did your career with ENRX begin, and how did your role evolve in those early years?

It was 2009 when I started working at ENRX’s (then EFD Induction) office in St. Petersburg. I was fresh from finishing my PhD in Mathematical Modelling and just defended my thesis on induction hardening. 

When I started with this company, my role was split between 80% research and development and 20% sales support. Honestly, sales were never my strength, and it was a slow year coming off the financial crisis which luckily allowed me to fully focus on my interest, research.

Post financial crisis I switched fully to R&D. I was frustrated by my lack of success in sales, but it also got me to a place where I personally believe is what I do best.

You and your family are based in Norway. What was the reason behind the move from St. Petersburg to Skien?

I had made the trip to Norway a few times for research purposes when I was working in St. Petersburg. 

In 2012, the need to speak directly to my colleagues was increasing and it was decided that I would make the international move from Russia to Norway. Once we made the decision to relocate, the process went quickly and with three or four months, me and my wife had settled in Norway.
 

How has your position developed since you first started in 2009? 
 

My role has changed considerably. The knowledge in the field of induction heating has grown alongside my involvement in various projects. I work with the development of applications.  At the beginning I was focusing on a very specific problem, basically it was a continuation of my PhD work. To this day, I have expanded my understanding by diving deeply into multiple fields covering nearly all areas of classical physics, developing and implementing tailored mathematical models, and applying these models to the analysis of new and existing applications. I work extensively in the lab, staying closely connected to physical reality and continuously validating and improving the models.

What is it about research and development that you find so exciting and fulfilling?

Firstly, it is exciting seeing people using the results of my work. What I’ve made is useful and it is nice to feel your existence matters.

There is a lot of joy in trying to understand new things. I enjoy working on multiple problems at once, while the back of my mind continues working through others in the background.

It’s up to you to search and propose and then take it to management. With that freedom comes an obligation to keep searching for better solutions, and ideas can come from anywhere, whether from the ground up or from the top down.

Walk us through your approach to problem-solving. How do you tackle complex technical challenges in your work?

I believe in the power of subconscious thinking. You must intensively load your brain, and then you leave it alone for a few days and then suddenly, the answer arrives. 

In addition, I’m still leaning on facets of my thesis and the existing research to solve challenges. 

How does you and your team collaborate with other departments to stay competitive in the market? 

I see myself as a micro company within this company trying to sell my services to R&D, sales, and other engineering departments. For example, with sales and applications.  That’s where I try and optimise in connection to our competitors. Our salespeople know what we need to be successful on the market.

We are a team of four within R&D Applications group focused on model development, and customer feedback is central to everything we do. We collaborate closely with companies in Sweden and partner with several research institutes on shared projects.

The exchange of information is huge and necessary. We double-check each other's work, keep things friendly, and meet weekly to stay aligned. It all boils down to good communication which is the main reason why I made the move to Norway. 
 

ENRX carries a reputation for being world-leading within induction heating. How do you personally experience that from the inside?

Many of the things we do in my department are unique and represent cutting-edge research. That is a reality, not just a claim. Before I even joined ENRX, I already viewed the company as the world leader in the field. It was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to work here, as the work overlapped with my PhD thesis almost perfectly. 

We may still be a relatively small company based in Norway, but the better we perform, the more competitive we become. As we improve our simulation accuracy, our confidence in what we can deliver grows. 

 

If someone were to apply to ENRX today, what would you want to tell them? 
 

ENRX is one of the best in the region. Overall, it’s a solid company. My path from Minsk to St. Petersburg and then finally to my now home in Skien. It’s all because ENRX has built such a solid base that we are able to grow so capably into new areas. 
 

How do you see that Arendals Fossekompani has influenced ENRX?
 

Of course, Arendals Fossekompani has made many of the economic and strategic directions of the company. But they’ve also made us greener. The material choices and recycling systems established in our new headquarters is a direct influence from AFK.
 

ENRX also has a high level of transparency. When there is news about the company, or my superiors have made a decision that will affect my work, they are very good at sharing the news when it trickles from the top. 

About ENRX: 
Leveraging decades of experience, ENRX is a global leader in industrial induction heating systems, serving industries including automotive, tube and pipe, renewable energy, electrotechnical appliances and HVAC. The company operates at the intersection of electrification, advanced manufacturing and sustainability. Three defining megatrends shaping global industry.  
 
To date, ENRX has delivered more than 30,000 installations in over 80 countries, assisting in reducing carbon emissions, improving product quality and lowering operational costs compared to traditional fossil-fuel-based heating. 

 

Arendals Fossekompani ownership: 98%
Employees: 922
Countries: 20
Global Megatrend: Energy transition