Russkoe ozero Baikal is currently undergoing a process.
In a significant development for the Russian tech industry, Baikal Electronics' Baikal-L and Baikal-M processors have entered mass production, with shipments expected to surpass 100,000 units by the end of 2025 [1].
The production of these homegrown processors marks an active phase in their life cycle, indicating a strong commitment to domestic chip manufacturing. However, the search for a new fabrication partner has become necessary due to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)'s refusal to cooperate with Russian companies.
The cost of transferring production from one factory to another for one type of processor can reach approximately 1 billion rubles, a figure comparable to the cost of developing a new chip [2]. Andrei Evdokimov, CEO of Baikal Electronics, has stated that the unavailability of TSMC due to sanctions has made it impossible to discuss the release dates of the processor at the moment [3].
The Baikal-M processors, currently all sold out, boast performance comparable to the Intel i3 7th generation [4]. Meanwhile, the Baikal-L processors, still in development, are planned for battery-powered devices, such as those manufactured by Promobit [5].
Dmitry Titov, first vice president of the Aquarius Group, believes that using Russian processors in computing equipment grants access to government procurement [6]. In line with this, "Elpitech" has registered a batch of motherboards on Baikal-L and is currently undergoing production localization level checks.
Maxim Koposov, Director of Promobit, has mentioned plans for Baikal Electronics to release the Baikal-L processor for battery-powered devices [5]. The volume of Baikal-M and Baikal-L processor supplies by the end of 2025 could reach several tens of thousands, and exceed 100,000 by the end of 2026, thanks to a 3.8 billion ruble investment from the state budget for the development of the new Baikal-L chip [7].
The exact production site and new foundry partner for the Baikal processors have not been disclosed in the available data. Nevertheless, Russia aims to maintain domestic chip production amid Western sanctions, suggesting that the search for a suitable partner is ongoing.
Sources: [1] https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4585588 [2] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c [3] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c [4] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c [5] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c [6] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c [7] https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/25/05/2022/5ed1681d9a7947139224470c
- Russia's commitment to domestic chip manufacturing, as demonstrated by the production of Baikal-L and Baikal-M processors, is a significant development in data-and-cloud-computing technology, especially considering the ongoing Western sanctions.
- Despite the unavailability of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) as a fabrication partner due to sanctions, Russian companies are actively seeking a new production partner for their processors, acknowledging the high cost of transferring production to another factory.
