Russia Invests $5.5M in Factory Tech Upgrades to Boost Mining Sector Efficiency

Two plants in the Chelyabinsk region will receive major grants to digitize production and develop AI-powered tools for industrial operations.

Russia is injecting nearly half a billion rubles into IT development at two manufacturing plants in the Chelyabinsk region. The funding—495 million rubles (around $5.5 million)—will support digital transformation projects aimed at modernizing Russia’s mining and industrial sectors, according to Kommersant.

The Ural Automobile Plant in Miass will receive 217 million rubles for its ‘Ural Digital Production’ project, launching in June 2025. The initiative will upgrade assembly operations by integrating modern control systems and automation with the plant’s existing IT infrastructure. The technology will first be deployed in the main assembly hall and then scaled across the facility.

The second recipient, DCT-Ural in Chelyabinsk, will receive 278 million rubles to develop an AI-powered platform called 'Industrial Assistant.' The software will function as a digital twin of the plant, enabling managers to monitor equipment performance, track resource extraction, and schedule maintenance. The system will fully replace imported solutions and generate documents automatically. The project’s total value exceeds 550 million rubles.

Separately, Russian lawmakers are drafting legislation to require mining companies to adopt advanced technologies and artificial intelligence—aiming to cut costs and speed up resource extraction.