Russia has lowered its ambitious technological advancement goals after losing access to sophisticated imports due to its invasion of Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday.
The Russian government late last year revised its list of 18 technological areas that will receive state backing into 2030, Kommersant reported.
While the Russian government previously associated its technological future with world-class breakthroughs, half of the initiatives now merely aim to replace existing foreign technologies.
Russia’s 2030 technology list includes drug manufacturing, nuclear and oil and gas engineering, aviation and energy services. It also focuses on “technological sovereignty” in the aircraft industry including drones as well as robotics, the automotive industry, microelectronics and medicine.
These areas were chosen because “the Russian economy already has a certain groundwork for their successful development and the formation of a major market there,” the Science and Higher Education Ministry told Kommersant.
But work on their development will now involve catching up after companies like Boeing, Nokia, Oracle and BASF exited the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine, the publication said.
Work on previously included sectors like neurotechnology has been abandoned because “they have ceased to be a business priority in many countries including Russia,” Kommersant quoted a source in the Economic Development Ministry as saying.
The 2030 technological development concept is expected to be submitted to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s office for approval this month.