Softline Weighs a Kaliningrad Plant for Laptop Assembly and More
Softline, a Russian information technology company, is exploring the creation of a manufacturing site in Kaliningrad region to assemble laptops and other computer equipment. The discussions are being reported by Vedomosti, citing Denis Saliy, who heads the Kaliningrad representation in Moscow under the government of the Russian Federation.
Saliy noted that the prospective plant could operate on a flexible model, producing devices for its own brand as well as taking on contract manufacturing for other brands. He emphasized Kaliningrad’s status as a special economic and customs zone, a factor that could help lower costs. The regional privileges, including potential reductions in taxes and import duties on components, might make the project financially attractive for Softline.
At this stage, no final decision has been reached about locating the enterprise in Kaliningrad. The parties have planned a second round of negotiations for mid-summer, when they expect to outline the estimated project cost and the scope of production. If the deal proceeds, the production lines would not begin operating until 2025, according to the discussions so far.
Previously, the publication socialbites.ca reported that Russia has developed a hybrid unmanned aerial system that combines features of a drone with quadcopter capabilities and vertical takeoff and landing. This point illustrates the ongoing interest in expanding domestic tech manufacturing and related innovations across the country.