Servers are mounted vertically – Newspaper Kommersant No. 17 (7462) dated 01/31/2023

Structures of Rosatom are showing interest in buying a domestic manufacturer of data storage systems and servers Kraftway. Such a deal looks logical as part of the state corporation’s strategy to enter the segment of equipment supplies to the public sector: Kraftway has historically been focused on government orders, and last year fell under US sanctions. According to experts, in the face of sanctions pressure, in the near future, more and more private companies in the segment will be absorbed by government agencies.

A Kommersant source in the Russian electronics market said that the structures of the state corporation Rosatom are interested in buying Kraftway (JSC Kraftway Corporation PLC, a major Russian manufacturer of computer equipment and electronics). The interlocutor clarifies that the parties have already begun negotiations and an audit of Kraftway is planned in the near future. A Kommersant source in one of the domestic microelectronics design centers also heard about Rosatom’s interest in the company. Kommersant’s interlocutor, close to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, also knows about this, but, according to him, a pre-sale assessment of the company has not yet been carried out.

Now the structures of Rosatom have great financial and political opportunities to absorb such assets, the interlocutor of Kommersant believes in the electronics market: “Kraftway is interested in the state corporation to strengthen its position in its core segment of the computer technology market.” Rosatom and Kraftway declined to comment.

Rosatom began to take an active interest in the computer technology segment in 2022 against the backdrop of a massive wave of Western restrictions on Russia due to military operations in Ukraine. In October, the state corporation established JSC Research and Production Association Critical Information Systems (NPO KIS) with an authorized capital of 500 million rubles. and the main activity is “production of elements of electronic equipment”. In January, it became known that a department of mergers and acquisitions appeared in NPO KIS, and top managers of the enterprise began to negotiate possible cooperation with Russian technology companies (see Kommersant of January 13).

Kraftway has competencies in the development and production of electronics, as well as its own production assets and a development team, says Alexander Sivolobov, deputy head of the Skoltech-based NTI Competence Center for wireless communication and the Internet of things: “All this is now very much in demand in the market, which is being rebuilt for a new, independent mode of operation.

Taking into account the fact that Rosatom is now developing software, the acquisition of an electronics manufacturer will allow the structures of the state corporation to produce software and hardware systems (PAK, are equipment with licensed software. They can also be used in critical information infrastructure facilities), notes a source on the market electronics.

Kraftway is a large company with its own development center and production facilities, surface mounting and assembly of computer equipment, adds Igor Moskovko, head of computer technology at Dannie: “They have always been focused on government orders, so information about a possible takeover of the company by Rosatom fits well into the overall concept actions of the state, which is now taking over significant production. Mr. Moskovko is confident that “several more such large transactions” will take place on the market in the next six months.

Timofey Kornev, Nikita Korolyov