Smart card ICs roll at Russian fab

MANHASSET, New York — JSC Sitronics, a Russian provider of telecommunications and consumer electronics equipment, has launched production of 0.18-micron ICs for smart cards at a new fab belonging to its subsidiary JSC Mikron in Zelenograd, Russia.

In July 2006 Sitronics signed a partnership agreement with STMicroelectronics NV to cooperate in the field of design, marketing and selling of ICs. The company invested more than $300 million developing microelectronic production in Zelenograd, a technology hub near Moscow. Over the last three years, Sitronics invested $200 million in this project. The new plant will manufacture chips for a wide range of smart cards. More than 40 suppliers from ten countries are participating in the project. The joint-stock company plans to start production of ICs using a 0.13-icron manufacturing process technology next, to be followed with 90-nm ICs in 2009.

Sitronics is heading the creation of the "Moscow Technological Cluster" that comprises a modern production base, as well as scientific and technology labs, technical schools and service centers.

Sergey Aslanyan, president and chief executive officer of Sitronics said: "Mikron is a good example of the joint cooperation of private business and the government in bringing domestically developed microelectronic technologies to the market."

"We have trained 120 engineers at our partners' companies, who are now involved in developing modern technologies in the country," said Gennady Krasnikov, general director of JSC Mikron and head of Sitronics Microelectronic Solutions.

Sitronics has more than 3,500 customers, maintains offices in 32 countries and exports its products and services to more than 60 countries. It employs over 10,000 people, of whom approximately 4,500 are involved in research and development. The company generated revenues of over $1 billion in the nine months ending September 30, 2007 and had total assets of $1.78 billion at the end of the period.

Sitronics is majority-owned by Sistema, which is the largest diversified holding company in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

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