Course Set for “Dark Factories”
Robots are replacing people on the factory floor as Kalashnikov Group begins serial production of equipment designed for fully automated manufacturing operations.
A new high-tech Semargl facility, part of Kalashnikov Group, has opened in the Novoorlovskaya Special Economic Zone in St. Petersburg. It is the first enterprise in Russia to launch serial production of a broad range of robotic equipment for warehouse and manufacturing logistics, as well as integrated solutions for highly automated and lights-out production environments.
From Logistics to End-to-End Automation
The 7,700-square-meter facility, established under the national Means of Production and Automation project, is to manufacture mobile transport platforms, automated storage systems (ASS), and flexible manufacturing cells powered by proprietary software. Total investment in the 7,700-square-meter project exceeded 1 billion rubles (about $13.6 million).
At the opening ceremony, Semargl showcased several flagship developments, including an automated storage system paired with an autonomous forklift, the Semabot line of Russian logistics robots, and Arsenal-B systems designed to handle oversized cargo.
Beginning in 2027, the plant will start producing flexible manufacturing cells and robotic complexes, followed by full-cycle automation systems in 2028. Such solutions are particularly valuable for serial and low-volume manufacturing, where production flexibility and rapid reconfiguration for new product lines are critical.
More Than Hardware
An important part of the facility's infrastructure will be its in-house IT divisions and the newly established Industrial Robotics Development Center, which will provide software support for all product lines. To strengthen engineering and research capabilities, Semargl signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Innopolis University in May 2026. The partnership focuses primarily on intralogistics, currently the fastest-growing segment of the industrial automation market. Joint R&D projects aimed at robotizing processes at Russian companies are planned, along with workforce training in modern digital technologies. The collaboration is expected to produce equipment tailored to specific business needs while preparing specialists who can work immediately with advanced automation systems.
Looking ahead, Kalashnikov Group is considering the construction of a new industrial robotics plant in the Moscow region. Expanding the successful St. Petersburg model reflects rapidly growing demand for domestically developed automation technologies and aligns with broader national industrial priorities.
Russia Builds a Full Robotics Ecosystem
Russia's industrial robotics market continues to grow steadily. In 2025, the sector expanded by 14% year over year, reaching nearly 8 billion rubles (about $109 million). That momentum has been supported by government programs tied to national development projects. Under a presidential decree, Russia aims to rank among the world's top 25 countries in robotization by 2030. Robot density is expected to increase from the current 19 units per 10,000 workers to 145 by the end of the decade, while the country's installed robot base is projected to grow from 12,000 to 94,000 units. To support those goals, 35 billion rubles (about $476 million) have been allocated to the Means of Production and Automation national project for 2025-2027. The program includes R&D subsidies, preferential loans at 5%, and leasing initiatives. Buyers of warehouse and logistics robots can receive reimbursement for up to 50% of equipment costs. Another key component is the creation of a network of robotics development centers based at Innopolis University to develop domestic software platforms.
A Robotics Boom
Supported by government incentives, domestic production of industrial robots is expanding rapidly. In 2024, the Zavod robotov (Robot Factory) in Chelyabinsk reached production levels of 70 to 100 robots per month and plans to manufacture 2,000 units annually by 2027 after commissioning a second facility. The intelligent control systems and software for its product range are developed by partner company Russky robot (Russian Robot). In May 2025, Amtekhnos, an engineering company and resident of the Tomsk Special Economic Zone, began construction of a plant that will manufacture automation and robotics equipment for industrial enterprises. The company also plans to develop its own software products.
May 2026 saw the launch of two additional facilities. In Nizhny Novgorod, VRobotics expanded its manufacturing footprint, creating a facility with annual capacity of up to 200 robotic systems built around industrial and collaborative robots. The products target automotive, aerospace, machinery manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. VRobotics has already developed dozens of proprietary robotic solutions and supplied more than one hundred industrial robots to enterprises in Russia and Belarus. The move to larger facilities is expected to increase assembly speed and production volumes severalfold.
At the same time, Eydos-Robototekhnika, a Russian industrial robotics manufacturer supplying solutions to KAMAZ, Rostselmash, and universities across the country, opened a new production site within the Khimgrad technopolis in Kazan. The facility will also serve as a workforce training center with dedicated classrooms for industrial, collaborative, and logistics robotics. Taken together, the launch of new facilities such as the Semargl plant in St. Petersburg is creating the conditions for accelerated growth across Russia's robotics sector in the years ahead.
