Plan for the release of analogues of imports from state money

A broad discussion of the problems of import substitution in the electronics industry revealed the main barrier on the way to technological sovereignty – the lack of consensus on the sharing of costs and risks between the state and business. Companies note the changed conditions of the game in the market due to the military operation and count on a multiple increase in funding for the industry instead of targeted assistance to effective projects. There is no unity on the subject in the government, a discussion in the Federation Council showed yesterday. The departments responsible for the development of industry and training of personnel insist on an increase in costs, but the volume of their appetites and interest in “planned-unprofitable” projects do not arouse enthusiasm in the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and market representatives took part in the discussion of ways to technological sovereignty in the electronics industry yesterday in the Federation Council. As the discussion showed, the industry needs more funding. This was reported by both market representatives and departments responsible for their support. The Ministry of Digital Resources recalled plans to expand the soft lending program for computer manufacturers, as well as the STLC support program (the state-owned company reduces the cost of risk for end users by purchasing from manufacturers and leasing ready-made solutions based on Russian processors and components). The Ministry of Education and Science is counting on the launch of five new design centers for training personnel in the field of radio electronics with skills in working with modern equipment – now there are 18 centers. Representatives of the industry propose to expand concessional lending (both in volume and the list of recipients), allow customers to purchase non-competitive purchases from single supplier for all radio electronics, as well as to give industrial consortiums a special status, empowering them to form industrial policy. However, according to the participants of the meeting, financial initiatives run into resistance from the Ministry of Finance.

The industry refers to the working conditions that have changed after the start of the military operation in Ukraine: “Neither the cost of the component base, nor the cost of equipment can be compared with what it was before February 2022,” said Gulnara Khasyanova, CEO of PJSC Mikron. They are dissatisfied with the market and the selection by the Ministry of Finance of projects for the purposes of state support. Ms. Khasyanova even suggested creating a tool for monitoring the work of the Ministry of Finance in order to find out why some “cross-cutting projects” (involving joint financing by companies and the budget for the creation of import-substituting industries) are not funded. The industry insists that some projects may be inefficient and not pay off, but are strategically necessary. Earlier, we recall, Vasily Osmakov, First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, also announced his readiness to support planned and unprofitable import substitution projects in the new model of industrial development (see Kommersant on October 18).

As yesterday’s discussion in the Federation Council showed, the Ministry of Finance does not consider the radio-electronic industry to be underfunded – the budget of the profile state program has been doubled. However, the opponents were not satisfied with the answer. “The task is not worth doubling (to increase funding.— “b”), but dozens of times more, if not hundreds,” said Konstantin Dolgov, deputy head of the committee on economic policy of the Federation Council.

Recall that experts have calculated that technological sovereignty in the field of microelectronics of the Russian Federation will require at least 400-500 billion rubles. investments (see Kommersant dated November 15). However, the demand for expanding state support for import substitution is shown by an increasing number of industries, including in connection with the expansion of output for the work of the military-industrial complex – in total, according to Mr. Osmakov, this demand already amounts to 6 trillion rubles, and this is probably not the limit.

Diana Galieva