A round table «Innovative Directions of Application of Foam Hydrogel Products in Modern Surgery» was held at the Department of Organic Chemistry, the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, Lviv Polytechnic National University. The event marked a significant milestone for the Ukrainian scientific community.
The event brought together representatives of leading scientific and educational institutions, including Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, the Institute of Animal Biology of the NAAS of Ukraine, Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology of Lviv, the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Combustible Minerals of the NAS of Ukraine, as well as several Departments of Lviv Polytechnic. The gathering showcased the true power of interdisciplinarity – where science, medicine, biotechnology, engineering, and liberal arts thinking converge in a shared pursuit of innovations that serve life.
The purpose of the round table was to discuss the practical aspects of the use of hydrogel products in medicine, with a particular emphasis on emergency surgery. The focus of the discussion was the latest foam hydrogel products created by Lviv Polytechnic researchers within the framework of the Center for Research on Polymers and Medical Products. This Center has become one of the University’s flagship platforms, uniting the expertise of chemists, biotechnologists, pharmacists, engineers, and physicians. Under its auspices, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine project «Development of Hydrogel Medical Supplies for Emergency Care in Cases of Penetrating Abdominal Trauma» is being implemented, alongside several initiatives supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine aimed at creating polymer-hybrid hydrogel systems for the treatment and rehabilitation of military personnel.
Following the round table, the participants developed joint recommendations to further improve hydrogel products, expand their properties, and jointly submit new projects. At the same time, they discussed the vision of broader cooperation, including the creation of partner laboratories, international applications, and participation in the European Horizon and COST programs, which could help scale the results to the industrial level. As one participant noted, «Innovation is not only a product, but also the trust between the people who create it».
The publication was prepared within the framework of the project «Development of hydrogel medical supplies for emergency medical services in case of penetrating abdominal trauma within the creation of a research center for new polymeric materials for medicine», which received grant support from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.





