Lukashenko: Key thing is to know where to go and what to do

MINSK, 17 March (BelTA) – It is important to promote the domestic microelectronics industry and expand the manufacturing base, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he inspected the Planar holding company in Minsk, BelTA has learned.

Immediately upon arrival, the head of state paid attention to the huge premises occupied by the holding company in Minsk and asked the Planar management about plans to develop the production site.

The president was told about the development strategy of enterprises that make part of the holding company, about import substitution and cooperation with the Russian Federation. A number of plans in this field have already been successfully implemented.

The company pays special attention to the production of photomasks that are a key element in the manufacturing of integrated circuits. The company boasts world-class products. It makes seven types of basic equipment, and for each type of this equipment it has from one to five competitors from the EU countries, the USA, and Japan.

In 2022, the company's revenue amounted to about Br57.5 million, up 21% over 2021. The net profit reached almost Br26.4 million (with a target of Br12.2 million). The return on sales was almost 13%. In 2022, Planar grew its exports by 70%.

The localization level at the holding company is 60-80%. “We have our own optical production, stone processing and precision mechanics, too,” Planar Director General Sergei Avakov explained.

Another promising avenue of work is the production of semiconductor wafers. Work is underway to upgrade the production base in cooperation with partners. It is important not only to produce this or that product, but to make it as compact and efficient as possible. Every nanometer counts when it comes to production efficiency and cost.

“The most important thing is to know where to go and what to do,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The president toured the production facilities, where he was briefed on the holding company's most popular products and promising developments. A number of solutions that were demonstrated to the president are the world's best in their market segment. In addition to production, human resources were also discussed. The head of state asked whether there are enough qualified personnel and how the company approaches staff replenishment issues.