Rostelecom CEO sees challenge in local devt of microelectronics

MOSCOW, Jul 5 (PRIME) -- President of Russian state-controlled telecom operator Rostelecom Mikhail Oseyevsky said late Wednesday that he is worried about the state of microelectronics in the country and views it as a global challenge for the digital economy.

“The digital economy is mainly based on equipment. We do not have mass chips or mass processors. It’s a global challenge,” Oseyevsky said at a conference devoted to the digital economy.

“The digital economy requires a huge number of meters, hundreds of millions or billions…They all have processors. We do not manufacture such processors in Russia now…It’s a global problem that exists. I hope the new government will find approaches to its solutions.

In order to become a big manufacturer of microelectronics, it involves “enormous investments and enormous markets.” A solution could be found in cooperation with corporations, for example, Chinese makers or others. “It’s a challenge and a problem in our digitalization program,” the executive said.

The country’s market of civil electronics is about 120 billion rubles, but only 12% of companies are local.

(63.2267 rubles – U.S. $1)

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