The prosthetics and rehabilitation equipment industry in Russia is steadily moving away from import dependency. Until recently, key high-tech components had to be imported. Today, according to expert estimates, domestic companies already control more than half of the market. GxP News looks into the ways the industry intends to develop its own production of complex electronics and the role that state support plays in this process.
Import substitution in figures
Import substitution in prosthetic and rehabilitation sector in Russia is progressing in a comprehensive way: manufacturers are developing their own products and introducing their own innovations, while government agencies support the industry not only through funding and incentive programs but also through the standardization of processes. As Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivileva recently stated, Russia is now a leader in prosthetics due to the ongoing Special Military Operation. According to the deputy minister, the country has already integrated foreign technologies into prosthetic manufacturing and has developed a special standard for adapting a person with a disability to new living conditions.
Before the military actions in Ukraine, the state’s involvement in the life of a person with a disability ended with the provision of a prosthesis, she said. People waited for that for a long time, and no help with adaptation was available. The situation is now different.
“In 2025, a number of new standards were adopted, developed by Technical Committee 381 and the Ministry of Labor, which improve product quality, ensure competitiveness with imports, and form new approaches to prosthetics, training, and user adaptation,” Andrey Davidyuk, General Director of Motorica, told GxP News.
According to him, Russian manufacturers already account for more than 50% of the prosthetic and orthopedic device market. Steplife General Director Ivan Khudyakov provides even more revealing data: “At the moment 80% of the industry’s products, in natural units, are manufactured in Russia. However, in monetary terms, this share is only 30%. The remaining 70% are high-tech parts supplied from abroad.”
Russia produces a lot of adapters, bushings, rotary devices, bionic hands, mounts, various types of feet, blanks for cosmetic covers, and repair kits. But the majority of complex modules, such as bionic knee modules and microprocessors, are still imported. To substitute this part of the products, more serious investments and research and production cooperation with leading manufacturing countries are required, Ivan Khudyakov believes. “The main difficulties remain in the field of microelectronics and servos,” adds Andrey Davidyuk.
Meanwhile, the situation with patient provision has improved significantly. All citizens with disabilities can receive prostheses at the expense of the Social Fund’s budget. “Children are provided with a new prosthesis for up to one year, adults for up to 3 years, after which they have the right to replace the device with a modern one provided free of charge. This system is better than many foreign practices. Today, all patients can be fully provided with high-tech domestically produced prostheses, whether directly, through an electronic certificate, or via compensation,” the expert emphasizes.
Future technologies and state support
The next stage of the industry’s development is not only about import substitution. The goal is to create world-class solutions.
Motorica is betting on neurotechnology. The company is developing its own neurostimulator, Motorica NEMO, which will make it possible to suppress phantom pain and create sensory-enabled prostheses. “Today, research participants can already distinguish objects by touch and determine their hardness or softness,” explains Andrey Davidyuk.
Steplife, in turn, is building a modular production system and cooperation with friendly countries. Ivan Khudyakov notes that currently, the industry’s production capacity is utilized at 60-70% and can be increased with growing demand. “If there were a shortage of capacity, patients would have to wait in line for several months. But this is not the case—services for an amputee start immediately upon application,” adds the head of Steplife.
According to experts, further development will be ensured by comprehensive state support measures: prioritization in government procurement, VAT exemption, and a product labeling system. “The most effective approach is not a single instrument, but a synergy of methods,” believes Andrey Davidyuk.
The main market driver today is the emergence of new products.
Motorica has introduced several innovations over the past 2 years: insertable liners made of HTV silicone, the RevoFit system for prosthetic fitting (50 devices), and a sleeve lamination technology that allows for creating custom designs and reducing prosthetic manufacturing time. Furthermore, the company acquired a controlling stake in the ZSO plant to produce the largest line of wheelchairs in the country.
Steplife, in turn, is focusing on knee modules and sports feet. In early 2025, the company launched the AI-based Steplife B7 bionic knee module. “It provides a natural gait, the ability to ride a bicycle, and do sports. It is configured via a mobile application,” said Ivan Khudyakov.
The company is now testing a sports foot for team sports. “The foot body is made of carbon fiber, and the mounting elements are made of space rocket stainless steel. It withstands a load of up to 166 kg and is undergoing testing for two million cycles,” clarified the head of Steplife.
Overall, it can be said that Russia has taken a significant step forward in providing its citizens with modern rehabilitation means. Now the industry faces a new task: to solidify its leadership, bring unique developments to the market, and prove that domestic companies are capable of competing on par with global leaders.
