– What has changed in your company’s work since February 24?
No changes so far. There is a very long-term planning in the electronics industry, so we are now running the projects that we bought parts for last year and we are not taking new orders temporarily. We expect the ruble exchange rate to stabilize, supply chains to recover and sanctions restrictions to be clarified. The changes will affect us when last year’s stock runs out: in a few months. And the whole industry is in this situation.
Stepan Fionov, technical director of ATB Electronics
“ATB Electronics”
– So, your company’s work has never been bothered by you?
Not exactly. For example, the shipment of components from Europe was stopped, the work of official Russian distributors was suspended. There are informal channels, but they work differently: they are adjusted for exchange rate risks and logistical difficulties. This makes long-term planning difficult. However, as a manufacturer, we learn to work in new conditions and to ensure continuous production.
– The industry has been talking about the risks of sanctions for years and is preparing for them. Were these years used to prepare for the situation that developed after February 24?
You can prepare for something predictable, but the current situation cannot be called anything like that. The events threaten the market with a potential crisis, but we will only be able to understand its depth after the final formation of the sanctions policy. Then it will be possible to draw conclusions about the preparedness or unpreparedness of the sector.
On the other hand, last year’s market shortage situation can be called a kind of involuntary “education” for what is happening now – for a year we have been living in a situation where the prices of components have increased and delivery times have increased. we have reached a year.
– When do you think the sanctions will be implemented and will it be possible to talk about their results with certainty?
Everything depends on the development of the geopolitical situation and the adaptation of the Western business world to new realities. In any case, decision making can be quick with words alone. If these decisions need to be documented, time is needed.
– Did sector representatives meet with the government after February 24?
The Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Industry and Trade reacted quickly. Literally the next day, they sent out questionnaires to key market participants in the radio-electronics industry asking them to write down how the government could help them. Online meetings were also held with various associations of electronics manufacturers.
Currently, work is underway to change the industry’s main regulatory documents. Documents extending the validity of subsidies have already been published.
While operational documents are accepted almost every day to support the sector, we can say that systemic measures are still being prepared.
– Do the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Industry and Trade have a clear idea of the restrictions that Russian developers and electronics manufacturers will face?
I’m afraid not. The state is in the same situation as us. The Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are monitoring the situation and keeping its pulse in order to respond quickly to what happened.
Support measures will be established based on feedback from manufacturers and suppliers.
– Are there any requirements put forward by the ministries to the sector participants regarding the events?
Requirements can be put forward for companies that fulfill a certain state order – this is the first thing. Second, state enterprises. It is necessary to distinguish between private enterprise and state. We are special. The tasks before us remain the same. There are contracts signed before February 24 under certain conditions – they must be fulfilled.
– Does the government call for speeding up the implementation of the points of the electronics industry development strategy?
Everyone understands that in the current situation it is necessary to develop microelectronics faster in order to ensure the independence of the country from foreign-made chips.
It is worth noting that conversations about this began long before 2022.
I believe that the conversation will not be limited. In connection with the sanctions policy, the process will accelerate.
– The construction of semiconductor factories for the production of processors is an extremely complex and expensive task. What do you think is the biggest obstacle for Russia to achieve this goal?
It all comes down to the financial side of the issue. Proper funding will overcome most of the challenges. Money and control over its distribution will speed up construction, buy the necessary equipment, and also attract specialists who know how to work with this equipment and the technological process.
Yes, it is unlikely that we will catch up with TSMC in terms of innovation and production volume in the near future, but today such a task is not worth it.
Now we need to make sure that Russia alone can meet the needs of critical sectors.
– Do we understand correctly that the government’s requirements to transfer critical infrastructure to equipment with domestic processors will be delayed due to the rupture of relations between Russian processor developers and TSMC?
Probably early to talk about a complete break in relations, it is necessary to wait for the stabilization of the situation. Government requirements for switching to domestic processors will certainly be adjusted to current circumstances.
– And if TSMC is still forbidden to work with Russian processor developers?
As far as we know, TSMC is definitely not the biggest but the only chip manufacturer in the world, and if this really happens, domestic manufacturers will be able to find a solution to this problem.
– How likely is it to happen?
Such a scenario is possible.
However, it is worth remembering that a business lives based on financial performance. Keeping the news agenda and making resignation announcements is one thing. But it is another thing to break existing contractual relations, to refuse already accepted obligations and to voluntarily give up profits.
Now we only see the first option. The second has not happened yet. Many foreign companies announced the suspension of their activities in Russia, but by no means fully withdrawn from the Russian market.
– What are ATB Elektronik’s plans for the near future?
ATB Elektronik did not interrupt its activities after February 24. We are sure that will not happen. We continue to develop OEM equipment: single-board computers and processor modules using foreign and domestic processors, IoT devices and contract manufacturing. In the current situation, new directions will inevitably emerge in the field of electronics development and production, the market will change and adapt to new business rules.
Source: Gazeta
