Payment for payment – Newspaper Kommersant No. 27 (7472) dated 02/14/2023

The cost of European, American and Japanese equipment for the production of electronic components in Russia increased by 40–50% in 2022, market participants say. This could drive up the price of domestically produced end devices, including laptops, servers, and storage systems, or increase attempts to order components from abroad. Manufacturers are testing Chinese equipment, but are not sure of its quality. Market participants are waiting for state support in the form of grants for purchases and “customs regulation improvements” so that Russian components remain competitive.

Kommersant got acquainted with the presentation on the supply of equipment for the production of printed circuit boards to Russia (chip sealing, microassembly of components on the board, screen furnaces, equipment for the production of technical ceramics, etc.), which was presented on February 10 at the conference of the Association of Developers and Manufacturers electronics (ARPE) “Best practices of contract manufacturing of electronics”.

It follows from the document that at the end of 2022, the cost of equipment increased by 40%. Judging by the presentation, the equipment is mainly produced in the USA, Japan and the EU. Among the brands listed are, in particular, the German ASM and REHM, the Japanese Omron. The equipment is used by such Russian manufacturers of printed circuit boards as Erikon Group of Companies, Promelectronica, Kompel JSC, MicroEm Technologies LLC and others.

According to Kommersant’s interlocutor in one of the companies, 90% of Russian production is equipped with equipment from “unfriendly” countries: “If earlier the cost of the production line of electronic circuit boards was on average about 30 million rubles, now it is already 50 million rubles.” An increase in the price of equipment will lead to an increase in the cost of components produced in Russia and, accordingly, end products (laptops, computers, etc.), says Arkady Gylov, commercial director of equipment supplier Global Microelectronics.

The top manager adds that Russian manufacturers “are eyeing Chinese counterparts, but the level of distrust remains high: the quality of equipment is worse than European.” A scenario is also likely in which the number of customers for Russian contract electronics manufacturers will decrease, the source of Kommersant in the industry adds: “They will prefer the production of equipment in factories in countries loyal to the Russian Federation.”

In 2022, in addition to Russian developers of microelectronics, its manufacturers also fell under US sanctions. For example, in September, the Aquarius Group and Yadro Fab Dubna LLC, a structure of the Yadro Group of Companies, entered the SDN list. .

Now Russian companies can buy ready-made lines for the production of electronics only in China, says a top manager of one of the Russian manufacturers: “But this is simple, not super-precise equipment.” The interlocutor of Kommersant clarified that it is possible to purchase European equipment, but this is a complex process associated with partial disassembly of equipment in the intermediary country. It is this method of import that leads to an increase in the cost of equipment.

As a result, Ivan Pokrovsky, executive director of ARPE, emphasizes that printed circuit board manufacturers need state support: “These enterprises provide manufacturing services for all domestic electronics, from electricity meters to servers, a lack of investment in expanding production or replacing a failed one will lead to the fact that Russian products will lose parallel imports from China. He considers it necessary to issue state grants for the purchase of production equipment and “finish customs regulations” in order to reduce competition with foreign suppliers of components.

Timofey Kornev