Russian Cyberfactory: Exporting Turnkey Industrial Automation with National Tech

Driven by industrial modernization and global demand for smart manufacturing, Russian engineering firms are gaining new ground as suppliers of fully automated production systems built entirely on domestic technologies.

Engineering as the Core of Innovation

Russia’s engineering sector has become a foundational force in the country’s innovation-driven economy. The industry provides comprehensive services from project design and construction to modernization of assets across residential, transportation, industrial, and energy sectors.

In 2024 alone, the domestic market for automated process control systems (APCS) grew by nearly 50%. Russian companies are increasingly exporting turnkey production lines—delivering integrated control systems, robotics, and AI-powered analytics that form the backbone of modern 'cyberfactories'. These projects are fully built with Russian technologies, offering not only competitiveness but strategic value for nations aiming to secure digital sovereignty in manufacturing.

Russian Solutions for Industrial Sovereignty

Among the sector’s key players is Rubytech, which unveiled its new SCALA-R system in May. This modular hardware-software solution for APCS in industrial and energy sectors complies with the Open APCS standard and meets regulatory security requirements for critical infrastructure. SCALA-R is tailored for oil and gas, chemicals, energy, and manufacturing. It brings cost efficiency by shortening deployment cycles, reducing IT overhead, and optimizing operations.

With industrial digitalization surging across Asia and Africa, demand for reliable and economical partners is rising. Russian companies are filling that need, delivering full-cycle automation tailored to local conditions—an appealing offer for developing economies modernizing their industrial base.

Vietnam Turns to Russian Expertise

Vietnam’s industrial sector is forecast to reach $300 billion by 2030, yet local engineering capacity currently meets only one-third of that demand. Notable shortages include equipment for thermal and hydro power, mining, and chemical production.

Russian vendors have already made inroads. In 2014, KRET (part of Rostec) helped commission the automation system for Vietnam’s Nam Na 2 hydroelectric plant. The All-Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation also introduced its APCS vision for Vietnam’s planned Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear facility.

Though paused in 2016, the project has since been revived. A new contract is signed, equipment preparation is underway, and construction of the reactor is expected to begin in 2027—with Russia supplying the technology.

Zyfra’s IIoT Platform Enhances Oil and Gas Efficiency

The Zyfra Industrial IoT Platform for Oil & Gas (ZIIoT O&G) is drawing interest from Iran’s energy sector. Designed for full integration of industrial production systems, ZIIoT allows companies to aggregate all operational data under a unified IT architecture, maximizing gains from IoT, machine learning, and scalable software modules.

The platform supports digital transformation by reducing long-term IT costs, simplifying the development of custom applications, and enabling easy integration with existing automation systems. Features like data lakes and containerized processing deliver flexibility and performance that exceed international norms.

One standout capability is cross-site knowledge transfer, which enables companies to apply best practices from one location to another—cutting deployment and debugging time from months to days or even hours.

Global Strategy Backed by Government

Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with the Digital Economy autonomous nonprofit, are actively promoting national technology exports and fostering long-term partnerships in industrial digitalization.

While the domestic IT sector continues to meet critical import substitution needs, it is also becoming a net exporter of cutting-edge solutions. In a global environment where technological alliances are shifting, Russia is staking a clear position in the digital transformation of industry worldwide.