The robotization paradox of Russian industry: the impact of new technologies on economic growth

The purpose of this article is to identify key issues related to industrial robotics and assess its potential impact on economic growth and innovative development in industries. This paper utilizes a systematic analysis of data from Rosstat, the International Federation of Robotics, and reports from the consulting firm Kept, the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization of Higher Education Innopolis University, and the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis. It was found that the main barriers to robotization are not so much the cost of robots as the lack of demand for robotization, a shortage of qualified personnel, and hidden costs. Many companies have limited investment resources, and the robotization of production processes, which is a continuous process of renewal and adaptation, may ultimately lead to a decrease in their economic efficiency. The current industrial structure, with its predominance of unit and small-batch production, substantially complicates Russia’s achievement of its goal of entering the top 25 countries in terms of robot density by 2030. The need to develop domestic microelectronic components and software has been demonstrated in order to establish a stable, coherent institutional and resource foundation for robotization. Therefore, a balance between production robotization and the use of manual labor is necessary, and industrial policy must be selective, with state support for the implementation of industrial robots provided only to industries in which their use is economically justified.