Industry and Trade Ministry, Skolkovo to support electronics design centers, including microprocessor developers

MOSCOW. Oct 18 (Interfax) - The Russian Industry and Trade Ministry and the Skolkovo Foundation are launching an accelerator to support small and medium-sized electronics design centers, with funding for 2022 and 2023 to total 1 billion rubles, the press service for the Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a statement on Tuesday.

The technological areas to receive support include: new microprocessor architectures, the electronic component base and its components, software and hardware complexes, optoelectronics, radio photonics and photonics products, medical equipment, automotive electronics and others.

Design centers selected for participation in the accelerator will receive the right to apply for a grant, expert support and assistance in accessing technology and industrial services. Participants will also receive support at the stages of manufacturing prototypes and product samples, organizing logistics, interaction with potential customers, etc. As a result, enterprises will be able to receive revenue from the sale of products or attract investment in project development, the statement indicates.

An accelerator participant can choose one of a number of support measures. The first program, "Co-financing of R&D", allows a grant of 10 to 50 million rubles. Extra-budgetary funding must be at least 20%. Under the second program - "Co-financing access to advanced technologies and industrial services" - the participant can apply for a grant of 500,000 to 10 million rubles per application. Funding will cover up to 100% of the application budget in the first year and 80% from the second year.

The press service specified that to apply for a grant a company does not have to be a Skolkovo resident or have the official status of an "electronics design center". The design center should be classified as SME, with income during the current or previous financial years of at least 1 million rubles or investments of no less than 500,000 rubles, the number of developers should be from 3 to 100 people. The participant shall carry out R&D in priority areas, including cross-cutting projects, in line with the current industry development strategy.