"We will never have x until we can do y"

I heard this in a science lecture.

Is this a correct use of the word "never"? I'm not a native English speaker, but for me, "never" means we know that there's is no point in time (past, present or future) when it is true. "Until" means that there may be a point in the future when something changes from false to true (or vice versa). From that standpoint, "never" means that there can be no "until", or am I missing something?

Never does not have to be absolute. For example, when you say,

I will never drink again.

You don't mean that "there is no such point in time (past, present, or future)". This never refers only to the future. When you say

I have never travelled by train

This never refers only to the past.

In your example, indeed there will be no time within the time frame [now, t] where you will have x. t is the point of time where you can do y.