Yekaterinburg Firm Switches from Laptops to Drone Simulators
LIGA Group in Yekaterinburg has paused its planned laptop factory in the 'Kosmos' industrial park and redirected efforts toward developing drone flight simulators for high school students, citing the lack of a chip production facility and poor economic conditions.
Consensus
- LIGA Group has paused its planned laptop and tablet factory in Yekaterinburg's 'Kosmos' industrial park.
- The company is redirecting resources to develop drone flight simulators for schools.
- The project was halted due to the absence of a chip production facility in the 'Kosmos' park.
- The economic situation in Russia is cited as a contributing factor.
- The simulators will be used to teach students, starting from 8th grade, how to operate drones.
- The program includes a software platform, joystick, and VR headset.
- The first version of the software is expected by the end of the year.
- Investments in the new project are estimated at 'tens of millions of rubles'.
- The company expects to recoup investments within two to three years.
- The project was initially planned to start test production in 2025 and full production in 2027 with 100 million rubles in investment.
Points of divergence
- Vladimir Putin proposed introducing drone operation courses in schools as early as April 2023. — meduza
- The Ministry of Education developed a draft decree in mid-2026 to split the subject 'Foundations of Safety and Defense of the Fatherland' into two mandatory courses, including drone training. — meduza
- Drone training is already being conducted in kindergartens, such as in Belgorod. — tg_radiosvoboda
- Drone training is already being conducted in kindergardens, such as in Belgorod. — tg_govorit_nemoskva
- The current market price for similar simulators is around 250,000 rubles. — tvrain
Coverage (8 sources)
- In Yekaterinburg decided instead of laptops produce UAV trainers for schools — The Moscow Times
- In Yekaterinburg, the project for a laptop factory was frozen — Новая газета Европа
- Yekaterinburg company freezes construction of laptop factory. Instead, it will make school drones for controlling drones — Meduza
- Instead of a laptop factory in Yekaterinburg, production of drone trainers for schoolchildren will start — Радио Свобода
- Drones control trainers for schoolchildren instead of laptops will be produced in Yekaterinburg — The Insider
- Instead of a laptop factory in Yekaterinburg, production of drone trainers for schoolchildren will start — Говорит НеМосква
- In the industrial park of Yekaterinburg, instead of laptops, they will produce drones control trainers for schoolchildren — Дождь (Telegram)
- In Yekaterinburg, instead of laptops, drones control trainers will be produced for schoolchildren — Дождь