Cuts at Nanotronika JSC threaten electronic engineering goals

The reduction of 20 percent of the employees of Nanotronika JSC, part of the microelectronic holding of the Element Group of Companies, increases the risks of failure to meet national goals for electronic engineering. Kommersant writes about this with reference to a letter from the primary trade union organization Nanotroniki (PPO) to the board of directors and shareholders of Element.

A source familiar with Element’s production audit previously indicated that most of the group’s equipment was produced in the USSR or was seriously outdated. Nanotronika was supposed to solve the issue of capacity upgrade.

Nevertheless, in 2025 the company doubled its loss - from 67.5 million rubles to 145.97 million with revenue of 68.7 million. The total staff of Nanotronics does not exceed 100 people, that is, after the reductions, there will be about 80 workers left there.

The union in the letter asks to clarify whether the plans remain to launch mass production of modern equipment and how layoffs relate to the government-approved strategy for the development of electronic engineering until 2030.

The authors of the appeal are also interested in whether there will be official explanations regarding the reductions, since two dozen employees with candidate and doctorate degrees in technical sciences were offered to resign of their own free will.

A representative of Element confirmed receipt of the letter and assured that the mechanical engineering area is developing, and personnel optimization will not affect employees with critical competencies.

NTI expert on new materials and technologies Evgeniy Vishnevsky is confident that a reduction of 20 percent will hit individual competencies, since it is impossible to quickly fill them in the market. JSC Nanotronika even notes that there are only a few specialists of the required profile on the Russian market.