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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, good afternoon. We have been planning for some time to get together to discuss the development of such a high technology area as the microelectronics industry.

Its significance for the economy and for ensuring the country’s defence capability is obvious. Electronics and modern component bases are used practically everywhere: at home, in production, in medicine, education and in the military and space industries.

The ability to develop and produce such technologically complex goods that are in high demand on the market is an important indicator of the scientific and technological independence of any state.

To support the national electronics industry and shift to stable growth, in 2008 we launched the Federal Targeted Programme for the Development of the Electronic Component Base and Radio Electronics.

Already back then, we started thinking about this and launched this work. Today we need to consider where we are and what must be done additionally to fill this very important sphere with meaning and orders – I will get to this in a moment – and move forward. And there is still a great deal we should achieve considering how this sector is developing in other countries.

In 2013, we launched the state programme to develop the electronics and radio electronics industry designed through 2025. Today the industry is truly making progress. Since 2009, the national microelectronics market has grown almost threefold to reach 150 billion rubles, while the export of civilian produce has nearly doubled.

In the course of our meeting, I suggest we consider the details of developing the civilian segment of microelectronics, including areas of concern. For example, I would like to note that national producers account only for 16 percent of this market so far. This is not enough. Unfortunately, western producers are dominating here, which creates obvious risks. Thus, certain steps made lately by some of our foreign partners are threatening the reliability of component parts and equipment shipments from abroad.

We need to strengthen the positions of domestic producers on the national market and enhance the research and production potential of the Russian microelectronics industry.

I would like to stress here that business and the state should focus their efforts on establishing microelectronics as an independent, self-sufficient commercial sector of the Russian economy that is attractive to investors. This primarily calls for a consolidated initial long-term order, as I have just said, that would guarantee the industry’s development.

We are speaking here of demand on the part of the state for a supply of microelectronics goods to the banking sector, healthcare, transport, communications and the turnover of registration documents. In other words, the areas where the state acts as the regulator and can create high demand.

This large-scale order should be coordinated at the Government level, by the Commission on the Use of Information Technology. I would like to draw the Government’s attention here that the state order should focus on domestic producers. I would like the ministries and agencies to do everything necessary to ensure this.

The microelectronics production facilities should, in turn, be ready to fulfil this order. We should not forget such a key aspect as the microelectronics technological base and the fundamental research pool. We have to understand and take into consideration the main development tendencies, keep our eyes on the ball, as they say.

We clearly have a largescale multifaceted job before us: from training qualified personnel and fortifying research teams to upgrading the key assets and launching modern experimental centres at production facilities. Efficient state support instruments are of special importance here. Today I hope to hear your proposals, but clearly, our consumers should have the opportunity to get the very best. We expect that the very best will be produced by our enterprises.

I have already said that there is still a lot to do, considering the developments in this segment in other countries. It is no secret that we still have a lot of ground to cover – bearing in mind what our competition has developed. In fact, they are moving forward in rather big strides.

However, we will not be able to move along until we make the step we are capable of today, and this is already an advanced solution. Therefore, I would like you to take the matter under discussion very seriously.

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