Russia plans to double the country’s technical fiber production by 2020. With this aim, Russia will expand the use of its large reserves of oil and other resources, including timber and other raw materials for the production of synthetics. Thanks to Russia’s well-developed oil and chemical industries, and the presence of large-scale technical textile consumers domestically, the industry has good chance for a rapid growth during the next several years.

Currently, the domestic production of technical fibers can meet only 30 per cent of Russia’s annual demand. Low taxes and customs duties, as well as the proximity of Russia to both European and Asian markets, provides additional advantages to the domestic industry.

In Russia, there are currently a number of companies ready to fight for the domestic technical textile market through the launch of new investment projects. One of them is the BTK Group, which has invested in a new plant for the production of high-tech fabrics. Another leading Russian producer has undertaken aramid fabric production. Finally, Thermopol, which is a producer of holofiber, a synthetic insulation for outerwear, plans to significantly increase its production.

Most of these projects will be implemented within the Ivanovo region, a centre of Russian technical textile production. The new cluster will include a new synthetic fiber plant.