The Russian technology ecosystem has experienced one of the sharpest turns in recent decades. Sanctions and the departure of 90% of Western IT giants — Microsoft, SAP, Oracle — forced the country to build actively its own digital solutions and technology chains. Let’s look at how the Russian IT sector is undergoing transformation and whether Russia will be able to turn external pressure into a long-term advantage.
Made in Russia: the transition from imports to in-house developments
Russia quickly switched from the “buy ready-made” mode to the “do it yourself” mode. According to T1 holding, in 2025, the share of domestic software in the public sector reached 43%, in banks — 75%, and in critical infrastructure — 40%. For comparison: a couple of years ago, government agencies were almost 80% dependent on foreign solutions.
The main question is: will Russia be able to break out of the role of catching up person and become a leading player in the global technology race?
How Russia integrates global technologies
Innovations are becoming part of everyday processes, from processing applications in banks to managing transport logistics.
Russia is implementing technologies that have already proven effective in global practice, and adapting them to domestic conditions: climatic, infrastructural, and industry-specific ones.
This is a full-fledged job of configuration, localization and optimization. We take what works in the world and adapt it to our conditions — for logistics in Siberia or oil production in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.
This approach allows us to take into account the real needs of business and the state, ensuring the sustainable growth of technological infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence — from experiment to standard
The neural network has become a standard tool for business: It automates routine tasks, processes documents, analyzes texts, identifies errors, predicts customer behavior, and optimizes logistics — faster and more accurately than a human can do.
For example, the Platform V from Sberbank allows to automate processes without coding and create the right solution through a visual interface.
Where they are used:
- In banks, retail and industry — for real-time transaction analysis and fraud detection.
- In public administration — for automatic processing of requests.
- In finance, to speed up internal processes.
How it can help:
- Reducing the task processing time.
- Removing the routine and freeing up employees for more complex tasks.
Digital twins in the fields
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a deposit or installation that simulates how an object works in reality. It collects data from sensors, analyzes them in real time, and suggests where equipment is wearing out, how to mine more efficiently, and what can be optimized.
Where they are used:
- In more than 20 Russian fields, in partnership with large mining companies.
- To monitor the condition of the equipment and optimize the mining mode in real time.
How it can help:
- Reducing maintenance costs.
- Increasing production volumes.Increasing environmental friendliness: there will be fewer unnecessary drilling and the accuracy of calculations will increase.
Medicine with AI and quanta
Russia is already developing its own developments that can set new standards in medicine and computing.
The Graphene quantum computer, the first domestic quantum processor being developed by MIPT, ITMO and other leading institutes, still exists as a prototype, but it is already producing working results. The processor is used for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to tumor cells, reducing toxicity to healthy tissues and increasing the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
Where they are used:
- In pilot medical projects.
- In scientific centers and universities working with quantum algorithms and molecular simulation.
How it can help:
- It will identify cancer biomarkers in the early stages due to its high sensitivity.
- It can be used to destroy tumor cells photothermically during laser therapy.
- It will stimulate the growth of stem cells and accelerate tissue repair after injury and disease.
Instead of imports, partnership: international cooperation in a new way
Russia and China are developing a digital partnership in all areas, from secure Internet to quantum communications.
What’s done:
- Rostelecom and China’s Huaming Corporation have launched joint platforms for the digital economy and network security.
- In 2023, we conducted a successful test of quantum encrypted communication, setting a new standard for telecom security.
- Agreements on joint investments in digital technologies and industrial cooperation in the Far East were signed at the ICT2GO 2025 forum in Khabarovsk.
Together with Latin American countries, Russia is developing cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, from protecting critical infrastructure to exporting domestic information security solutions to foreign markets.
What’s done:
- Solar and Cuba’s Segurmatica have teamed up to protect critical infrastructure.
- The export of Russian information security solutions to Latin America and the CIS increased by 35% in 2024-2025.
Who pays for the technology
Behind every digital platform, robotic solution, or quantum pilot there is funding — from government, venture capital, or corporations.
In 2025, Russia is building systematic support for technology projects: from early-stage grants to tax incentives and large-scale government programs.
At the start there is the Foundation for the Promotion of Innovation. The Start program is government support for early-stage technology projects. Its goal is to help developers go from idea to production.
Individuals can participate: even if you do not have a registered company (legal entity) yet, you can apply. As well as young legal entities — companies registered less than 2 years ago.
Support stages:
- “Start-1” — up to 5 million rubles. It is suitable if you have an idea and you want to create a prototype. You can participate as an individual, that is, without a company. Funds are provided for R&D — research and development work.
- “Start-2” — up to 8 million rubles. It is suitable if you already have a working prototype and a partner (for example, a customer or an investor). This stage helps to develop the product and attract private investment.
- “Commercialization” — up to 30 million rubles. This is support for those who are ready to enter the market with industrial production.
- “Cooperation” — up to 25 million rubles. The money is allocated for projects where a startup works in conjunction with a large business — for example, it implements its technologies in enterprises.
The program is designed as a step-by-step system: from an idea and a team without a legal entity to full-fledged production and partnership with large companies.
At the system level there are the Central Bank and fintech. The Bank of Russia is building a digital infrastructure so that startups don’t get bogged down in bureaucracy and paperwork.
- The strategy until 2027 includes blockchain, digital ruble, and settlement automation.
- Through the Small Business Digital Platform, startups connect faster to the Federal Tax Service and the FIU and receive preferential loans.
Big business invests in technology with an eye to independence. Sber, Gazpromneft, and Russian Railways are creating their own platforms.
- Beber has allocated 50 billion rubles for the development of the Platform V ecosystem, an alternative to Western cloud services.
- Gazpromneft implements digital field doubles using AI, reducing costs.
As a result, in 2025, the export of Russian IT solutions to the BRICS countries and the CIS grew by 25%, with products in the field of cybersecurity and cloud services in particular in demand.
Without money, rules, and people: the three main challenges of innovation
The path from developing a concept to launching a working product is still difficult. There are three system barriers that make it difficult to implement solutions on a large scale.
First, there are administrative restrictions. Despite the fact that Russia is considered one of the leading countries in terms of cyber law, the introduction of AI and digital platforms often relies on outdated and fragmented norms.
The most illustrative example is autonomous transport. Commercial drone services are already operating in many countries, while Russia still does not have an approved regulatory framework that allows such technologies to be safely tested.
The reason is that the legal system has not kept pace with technological changes. The lack of uniform rules, lengthy coordination procedures between departments, and the uncertainty of legal responsibility are hindering initiatives.
Additional difficulties are created by the lack of competence of some regulators in AI issues, which leads to excessive regulation and delays in processes.
Secondly, there is insufficient financial support at the growth stage. Federal grant programs, such as Start-1 from the Foundation for the Promotion of Innovation, give novice developers the opportunity to test ideas and create a prototype.
However, the amount of financing (up to 5 million rubles) is enough just for the initial stages. The transition to industrial implementation requires larger investments, which are difficult to attract due to the limited number of venture funds and weak private capital activity in the high-tech sector.
As a result, many promising projects do not reach the stage of commercialization because of financial reasons.
Thirdly, there is a shortage of qualified specialists. According to estimates by the Ministry of Digital Economy and relevant associations, by 2030 the country may lack about three million specialists with digital competencies, including expertise in AI and quantum technologies.
At the same time, the outflow of personnel abroad continues, and mass retraining programs operate on a targeted basis and do not cover the real needs of the market.
Under these conditions, even the most promising technological solutions risk remaining unrealized due to a lack of performers.
There are also positive developments. In 2025, a law was passed on experimental legal regimes — the so-called “sandboxes”.
Tatarstan already has such a regime for unmanned trucks: companies can test technologies without the risk of running into criminal liability for inconsistencies with reality. This is an important step that allows technology to get out of the labs and onto the roads.
Startups also receive support. For example, the Neuroset-Med project has received a grant for AI diagnostics of oncology and is already undergoing pilots in Moscow clinics.
International partnerships also help. Joint R&D centers with China and India, a digital infrastructure agreement with Iran, and the export of information technology solutions to Latin American countries are all about access to technologies that would otherwise have to be developed from scratch.
Creation within the country is a new priority
The forecasts of the Ministry of Economic Development sound ambitious: by 2030, the share of high-tech industries in GDP could almost triple from 6% to 15-18%.
According to PwC, 68% of Russian companies plan to increase investments in digital technologies in the next three years. That is, the market has matured — now it is important not to slow down.
In order not to roll back, you need to:
- Strengthen international cooperation with a focus on joint R&D and export,
- Scale up support for startups, including retraining 3 million IT specialists by 2030,
- Remove regulatory barriers through sandboxes, technology parks, and flexible legal regimes.
Russia has already begun the transition from the role of a consumer of technologies to their creator. It is important not to limit ourselves to the first steps, but to continue moving with a focus on long-term results.
By Alexander Korchmarik, founder and CEO of NOVASMART