OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2010. RUSNANO and Elecard Group of Tomsk, Russia will produce various electronic units using multimedia processors with technical norms of 90 nanometers to 65 nanometers. The project addresses goals set forth by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to make digital television available to the entire country within the next five years. Project management will organize sale of equipment for digital television produced by Russian engineers—TV-peripherals or set-top boxes and studio digital broadcasting software. 

Once realized, the project will provide a technological and production base for domestic microelectronic and electronic goods with greatly improved technical-economic characteristics. During the first phase of project realization, 2010, management plans to begin production and sale of peripherals for digital television and software products for studio digital broadcasts using 90-nanometer technology. During the second phase, 2011–2012, the project company will produce encoding and decoding for video signals and begin developing new microprocessors with 65-nanometer technology. In its third phase, 2013–2014, the company will launch commercial production of set-top boxes, including those with the new processors. Financial forecasts put earnings of the project company at almost two billion rubles in 2014. Quality and competitiveness of the products support plans for 80% of earnings to be derived from exports.

The new multicore microchips offer a number of advantages: low power consumption, low cost of production, and flexibility in adapting the products to specific needs. Importantly, the digital core is an original domestic advance, allowing the project company to avoid paying licensing fees to foreign companies and perhaps offering it the potential for receipt of licensing fees in the future. The applicant for the project has more than 7,000 customers. This base is a key as well to successful realization of the project and development of sales outlets for its products.

The total budget for realization of the project is put at 721 million rubles, its first stage—420 million rubles. RUSNANO will be guarantor for loans of 120 million rubles that the project company will seek. Matters concerning the second phase of the project will be decided by March 1, 2011.

“The 90-nanometer technology chosen in this project is currently the best to take into the microchip market in this area. It will be the most in demand for the next three years to five years; this demand significantly reduces the technological risks that arise when companies use the most advanced developments in their fields. In addition, the cost to move from 90 nanometers to 65 nanometers is not high,” noted RUSNANO Managing Director Konstantin Demetriu, coordinator for the project.