Russian Government May Consider National Electronics Development Program Before Year's End

Before the end of the current year the Russian government may have time left to consider a national program for the development of electronics in Russia, drafted by the Russian agency for control systems /RASU/. This was stated on Tuesday by the agency's director-general Vladimir Simonov. He was speaking at a forum, "Technologies and Solutions for an Electronic Russia", now meeting in Moscow. According to Simonov, the program concentrates on five scientific and technological sectors. These are opto-electronics /fibre-optic communications/, micro-electronics /design of miniature microcircuits/, applied micro-electronics / control systems used in space, air and industrial installations, including communication and television systems/, super-high-frequency electronics / for space communications, nuclear power, arms systems, and domestic appliances/, and electronic materials /development of new materials and components for electronics/. Simonov hopes that financing of this program will be provided for in the 2002 budget. "Our hope is that leading electronic firms from the West and Japan will invest in it," he said. In particular, according to Simonov, plans exist to set up a joint Russian-French venture in the Moscow region to manufacture fibre-optic cable based on domestically-produced optic fibre.