Natalia Shmatko

National Research University Higher School of Economics

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Natalia Shmatka is a leading researcher in the sociology of science and technology, with a sharp focus on the future of highly qualified labor. Her work critically examines the evolving skill demands for engineers and researchers, particularly within the rapidly advancing field of robotics. Shmatko’s major contribution lies in bridging the gap between higher education and industry. Her most-cited paper, “Bridging the Skill Gap in Robotics: Global and National Environment” (2020, 47 citations), uses innovative text-mining of open-access job vacancies to map global and national trends in technical competency requirements. This empirical approach provides a data-driven roadmap for understanding what skills are truly needed for the careers of tomorrow. Further extending this work, her research on “Building engineering competency portfolio in the context of university–industry collaboration” (2025) offers concrete evidence on how to structure partnerships that prepare students for the real-world demands of industrial robotics. By quantifying the shifting landscape of scientific and technical expertise, Shmatko’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of work, talent development, and the strategic alignment of education with the high-tech economy.