23.04.2026
In a special media project by the Energy Club business community, “The Big Interview,” Kseniia Lukianets, Director of National Expert Center LLC, explained why metrology today goes beyond the purely technical sphere and becomes a matter of strategic security. She spoke about the journey of the National Expert Center, the importance of metrological traceability to international standards, and the risks of simplifying verification procedures for the market. Special attention was paid to the issue of preserving the intellectual and scientific potential of the industry, as well as the role of antitrust control in tender procurement of metrological services.
Kseniia Lukianets has had an extensive career in the public sector — from leading the migration service department in the Chernihiv region to serving as an energy auditor at the Accounting Chamber. She is an expert who knows how to build systemic processes. She shared how the National Expert Center builds trust in measurements in Ukraine and why metrology is not just a technical procedure, but a true second front for our energy system and the foundation for a fair economy.
– Ms. Kseniia, what role does National Expert Center LLC play in the field of metrological services today?
– The National Expert Center is a modern company providing verification services for legally regulated measuring instruments. According to our authorizations, we offer a fairly wide range of such services to our consumers. We operate in the energy sector, covering electricity meters, current transformers, and voltage transformers. We also work with measuring instruments such as gas meters and, accordingly, data accounting complexes. Additionally, we have a division for water and heat metering, and we can highlight our work with fuel and lubricant reservoirs — a complex for verifying measuring instruments at gas stations or at enterprises and institutions involved in the storage and use of fuel materials.
– Why, in your opinion, does metrology have strategic importance for the economy and international trade?
– Many people not involved in our work perceive metrology as a scientific, theoretical field distant from everyday life. However, this is not the case. I can confidently state that metrology is something we constantly encounter in our daily lives, both at work and at home. Its strategic importance lies in the fact that we plan, build, and analyze according to statistical and analytical data.
The primary element is the data itself. Obtaining it is also a task of metrology. Whether we are talking about meter readings, resource consumption, or the buying and selling of resources, it all comes down to data accounting. The accuracy of scales in shops and supermarkets is also the work of metrologists. In other words, the strategy of metrology is built from the household level up to large-scale industry. Furthermore, metrology is the foundation of honest interaction and competition both on a national scale and in the sphere of international relations.
– The scope of your activity is impressive. What is your goal today? In which direction do you plan to develop?
– There are several. First and foremost, the National Expert Center plans to expand the state-granted authorizations to verify a larger number of measuring instruments.
Secondly, there is the internal development of the company. The National Expert Center operates on the principles of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. It should be noted that we pay close attention to ensuring these principles apply not only to our external activities but also to our internal operations. We have a professional team that works in compliance with legislative requirements.
Our greatest goal is to combine legal capabilities, confirmed by state permits, with quality and professionalism.
– And for you personally, what does responsibility in the field of metrology mean?
– Since the head of the company is directly responsible for its activities and the team, my personal principle is: responsibility equals objectivity. We must be responsible for the results of our work, and I clearly communicate this to our team. The result is the objectivity of the cause-and-effect relationship of the entire staff’s work across all components of this algorithm.
Every result affects someone’s life or something’s function. It impacts families, business development, and provides facts for analysis or the formation of a user’s strategy based on measurements, or simply ensures the legality of using instruments subject to verification.
When we talk about measuring instruments at high-risk facilities, it is, above all, about safety. Therefore, responsibility definitely means confidence, objectivity, and the legality of our work results.
– You work with many clients, and the question of trust arises. After all, we don’t really like being measured; sometimes we might say, “Well, look what they measured for us! I couldn’t have consumed that much.” How is trust in measurement results and metrological services formed?
– If we categorize processes, in some cases we can say trust is the root cause, and in others, it is the result. In this case, trust is the result.
The company has all the necessary means and resources to perform various tasks. Regarding the National Expert Center specifically, I want to say that we have a professional team and significant technical capabilities and resources that meet standards and legal requirements. Thanks to this, we achieve high results, and our consumers can trust us. This is the first component of how we achieve this outcome.
The second component is similar to when we buy a product based on a recommendation and form an opinion after using it. When our clients actually use our product — our measurement results and the verification of their instruments — and see that resource accounting has become more accurate, affecting their economic activity and minimizing costs, this definitely builds trust.
– What internal processes and standards in your company help ensure the quality and reliability of verification results?
– These are no less important for development than external communication processes. First of all, it’s personnel selection. We employ experts in their field — professionals who are flexible and open to development and change.
Next, great attention is paid to internal procedures, systems, and the structure of forming work processes with consumers. This includes internal control, internal audits, and independent audits. These are conducted not to find out who is “bad” or “good,” but as a tool and an indicator of where we can be better and what we need to grow. Therefore, a great deal of attention is paid to structure and consistency.
– You measure various energy carriers, which requires different measuring instruments. What are the main types of measuring instruments that the National Expert Center verifies today?
– Regarding the energy sector, the National Expert Center provides verification services for various types of meters. We have a stationary laboratory equipped for this purpose. This concerns measuring instruments, such as electricity meters, that are dismantled from their location and brought to us. For example, meters owned by DTEK: if there are complaints or suspicions of inaccurate accounting, they are provided to us for verification on our stationary units.
We also conduct electricity meter verification without dismantling. This is a different type of measurement requiring different equipment, performed upon the customer’s request.
Another area of our activity is the verification of current and voltage transformers. These can be checked at our facility if it is convenient for the consumer to bring them, or our team can travel to the site with a mobile laboratory vehicle to provide the full range of services.
– How do you ensure the metrological traceability of measurement results to national and international standards?
– Verification is performed using appropriate equipment. For us to receive state authorization — a certificate with a specified scope of what we can do and in what range — this equipment must be calibrated to national standards. At this stage, maintaining the calibration of the equipment, having experts whose ability to perform such work has been verified by state representatives, possessing the necessary qualification knowledge, and directly applying the verification methodology collectively ensure the traceability of results to national standards.
It is a cause-and-effect chain that is easy to follow, and it becomes very noticeable when one of its components fails.
– Why is compliance with metrological norms and procedures so important for companies in this industry? To what extent are they aware of this, and how much do you have to convince them? Or is it the opposite, where so many people come to you that you have to put some on a waiting list?
– Given the wide range of services, our consumers vary. They can be households, individuals, or legal entities. The motivation and primary reasons for contacting us can be divided into several subgroups. First and foremost, there is the legal requirement to perform necessary actions, which is mandatory. There is a mandatory timeframe for some, and a specific moment of necessity for others.
Our successful work is ensured by all components: the professional level of staff, the company’s technological capabilities, the level of control, and the level of responsibility. All of this forms reliability.
– But it’s natural for a client to want to simplify the procedure. Do they ever say, “Don’t be so thorough”? Are there risks in simplifying verification procedures, and what consequences could this have for the market?
– Today, our consumer is changing, as is the market in general. If you are a business owner, you are directly interested in the accounting of resources you either consume, sell, or provide.
Therefore, our current consumers are divided into those for whom it is simply important to theoretically meet the legal requirement and obtain verification results (preferably positive ones), and those who truly realize the value of this procedure because they prioritize honesty and objectivity in what they receive.
The verification process is strictly regulated by law and relevant methodologies. It is a clearly defined process. Deviations can occur at the legislative level or at the level of the body or person shaping the state’s metrological policy. There can be macro-changes and micro-changes. I don’t think there will be macro-changes because the strategic importance of metrology in the state is growing. At the micro-level, deviating from or simplifying the procedure means agreeing to unprofessionalism and violating internal principles, not to mention legal and professional non-compliance. Therefore, the National Expert Center stands for objectivity and the reliability of results for which we bear responsibility.
– How does the war and the challenges facing Ukraine’s energy system affect your work and the role of metrology in general?
– I am certain that there isn’t a single person or entity — within the state or the global community — who is not affected by the processes occurring in our country. But every coin has two sides. Unfortunately, the consequences of what is happening are horrific. It is definitely a challenge that requires us to be different, to adapt, to change, and to respond.
How does it affect us? In some cases, there might be a decrease in demand in certain areas. Let’s take the example of water meter verification for households. On one hand, the decrease in the population’s purchasing power might lead some to view verification as a non-essential expense. This leads to lower demand.
On the other hand, given the increased focus on managing family and household budgets, the accuracy of consumption volumes and the objectivity of billing are very important. The symbiosis of these vectors involves extra costs but also ensures the safety and objectivity of future resource use.
When fuel storage tanks are damaged, these objects must undergo verification after repair work. We know that the energy sector and fuel complex are primary targets for strikes, so there is definitely a demand for necessary work. Given the limited resources, the consumer becomes more demanding and meticulous, which sets new requirements for us — to meet the challenges and give the consumer confidence that we are the right choice.
– We’ve already referred to the energy sector as the “second front.” In your experience, what is the role of the metrological industry on this second front?
– At first glance, it might seem that the second front is not connected to metrology. But if you look deeper, the state currently needs to import energy resources. This involves accounting for the volume of supplies. For these calculations, accounting, and bilateral agreements to be correct, objective, and financially calculated, metrology is required to ensure data reliability.
Secondly, the link between electricity production and supply, considering the limitations and constant negative impact of armed aggression on all types of facilities — the accuracy and reliability of all this data across the entire chain ensure the total energy potential the country so desperately needs.
Metrology provides the reliability and objectivity of all data for calculation, analytics, and strategic development.
– What place does metrology currently hold in the formation of fair tariffs, economic calculations, and, consequently, state management decisions?
– All areas of public utilities have a direct impact on our population. There is a directly proportional price formation for consumer products depending on the prices of electricity, water, and fuel. We saw this with fuel prices when food prices rose.
Tariff setting is a very socially sensitive topic and is a tool of political influence. Tariffs are formed based on production volumes or the availability of resources. Minimizing the margin of error in household consumption is a prerequisite for forming the supply-demand ratio. This is then translated through economic and administrative-governmental tools into the tariffication procedure, providing a mandatory legal norm for all users.
– Ms. Kseniia, the war certainly puts us in unfavorable conditions, but Ukraine continues to declare its intention to integrate into the European Union. In this sense, how do you assess the current state of our metrological infrastructure and its readiness for integration into the European measurement space?
– We have every reason to be proud of ourselves and to have that intention justified. I want to give an example from my previous work regarding the requirement for integration into the European space and processes.
Consider the implementation of the visa-free regime and the recognition of our Ukrainian citizen’s passport for traveling abroad. When Europe recognized its security, legality, and the impossibility of issuing such documents in violation of identification rules, we all witnessed how Ukraine implemented these requirements, resulting in the visa-free regime we have today.
Therefore, the main goal and idea of implementing “technical visa-free” requirements and our path to the European space in the field of metrology is the recognition of our results, measurements, and trust.
This is a big step in development and an indicator of progress because it simplifies procedures and minimizes additional costs. Our enterprises — participants in economic relations — become equals to participants in the European space. This is a guarantee of contribution to our common goal, as the economic front is one of the foundations for overcoming the challenges we face today.
For this, each of us needs to be honest with ourselves, meet modern requirements, and play fair. Because behind every document stands the state. If, for example, it is determined in Europe that a document was issued with violations, the distrust will not be toward the specific specialist who issued it or the entity that accepted it, but toward the state as a whole.
So, in this case, it is a colossal resource and a different level of perception of the country, including in imports and exports. But, of course, this different level requires different measures of influence, both external and internal.
– What are the key challenges facing the metrological services market in Ukraine today?
– In addition to what we’ve discussed, the main challenge today is the need to remain true to our principles. I think this applies not only to metrology but to any market, rules of competition, and antitrust law. Usually, the basis for a choice is price. Price is not always an indicator of quality, but we are responsible for our price. When society and our consumers demand quality services, they recognize the value of what we do and understand how they want to achieve the desired result. Another challenge, in my opinion, is the regulation of legislation according to consumer needs regarding quality.
The next challenge is the technical component — the availability of appropriate equipment for high-quality verification. External international ties are currently limited, so there is a demand for internal technical development and the production of high-quality equipment.
A third major challenge is the demand for professional workers, as metrology is a quite narrowly focused field. Specialists must be trained, which takes more than a year.
The symbiosis of all these challenges creates certain problems requiring swift solutions but also builds resilience in development, adaptation, changing internal processes, and additional training for employees already in our team.
Thus, challenges can be viewed differently. You can see them as problems and a basis for decreasing professionalism or speed, or you can see them as a foundation for movement and a reason to become better.
– What role does competition play in the field of metrology?
– I think that, as in any activity, competition is a stimulating factor and plays the role of natural selection. It is a litmus test through which a company reveals what it truly represents, its capabilities, and the principles it adheres to.
If, for example, the result and responsibility for our actions are important to us, then the price of our services is slightly higher than in companies that do not pay enough attention to this.
Competition is definitely not just in price, but in the availability of capabilities, capacities, equipment, staff professionalism, organization of internal processes, consistency, and ultimately, results. Obtaining a document because of a legal requirement is one thing. Achieving the goal of metrology — which is the consistency between the result and the document — is an entirely different objective. Therefore, competition is normal.
Any market must be competitive to develop and improve. Of course, I cannot say that competition in the metrology market is always fair, as is likely the case in any other. But I believe that through regulation and adding an intellectual component to this market, with the help of the Antimonopoly Committee, we have every chance to give metrology the status and authority corresponding to the important strategic tasks it primarily sets for itself.
– Why does the issue of measurement accuracy go beyond the technical sphere and become a matter of economic justice?
– The National Expert Center, as a company in the field of verification of measuring instruments on the Ukrainian market, performs a wide range of tasks.
Why does metrology go beyond technical regulation? Because metrology is the foundation of trust. Trust builds the economy. The economy shapes not only the internal trust of all participants and subjects of social relations in the state and its policy-makers but also has a direct impact on the state’s image. This is a logical chain that, at its micro-level, ensures compliance with all these principles. The National Expert Center represents professionalism, legality, consistency, and responsibility. Therefore, honesty in use and honesty in consumption, anywhere and of anything — it all relates to metrology.
I want to emphasize that consumers have the right to have metrological services, like all others, provided in a legal manner by specialists, in compliance with general rules and consumer protection laws. Therefore, when someone restricts a consumer’s right to proper service provision, it is a violation of rights. Today, metrology has a significant impact on all links of external and internal state processes.
– And finally: what immediate changes do you see in the metrological industry in Ukraine, and what needs to be done to increase the culture of measurement and responsibility in the metrological services market?
– In my personal opinion, it is, first and foremost, an honest and open dialogue between regulatory bodies and participants in this field. There is certain competition and contradictions between state enterprises with a set of capabilities and private sector entities — where a state enterprise can provide the same services as private companies. Naturally, it is easier for state entities to interact with other state entities than to build relationships between state and private ones. There is some inequality among market participants here. Perhaps there should be a separation where an entity acts as a regulator of rights and setter of mandatory norms, and where it acts as a service provider on par with the private sector. This definitely includes adherence to and strict control over the tools for the competitive selection of market participants. The Antimonopoly Committee has the appropriate authority to analyze tender procurements and the grounds for selection, which are sometimes not entirely fair, even if seemingly within the law. So, first of all, it’s about building the relationship between the state and market participants.
Secondly, it’s the influence and integrity of the market, and the development and continuation of efforts to preserve the intellectual component, technical depth, and scientific grounding of this sphere.
