Russia's government will discuss a plan to establish three or four integrated strategies incorporating about 60 percent of all of the country's space industry enterprises at a meeting this Thursday, a source told the RIA Novosti news agency.
Under a strategy to improve the sector's development by 2015, Russia will overhaul space production and testing facilities and develop the industry's science and technology potential. Other priorities include improving output quality, increasing competitiveness, strengthening the country's position in world markets, developing private-state partnerships and improving staff training.
The strategy suggests forming six major integrated structures that " will be later turned into three or four core enterprises comprising 60 percent of the industry," the source said.
A total of 112 ventures now operate in the industry, including 66 research and development and 31 industrial establishments. The sector employs 250,000 people.
Under the plan, the space sector would be to grow by 8 percent a year and Russia's share on the world space market would increase from 11 percent to 21 percent. The share of new production equipment would increase to 33 percent to 35 percent from the current 3 percent.
