Smart TV Production Starts at Former Mazda Plant in Vladivostok

Russian company Alter Invest has started producing smart TVs at the site of the former Mazda engine plant in Vladivostok. A separate legal entity, Sunrise Electronics, was created for the project, and the electronics retail chain DNS has become its key customer.

Capacity and equipment

In the first phase, the plant is designed to build up to 600,000 Smart TVs a year. The company plans to later expand output to 1.2 million devices annually.

The site has been fitted with a high-tech assembly and quality-control line, a test laboratory and a clean room. A clean room protects electronics from dust and other contaminants during manufacturing, with controlled air purity, temperature and humidity.

A multi-client model

The production is meant to serve several customers rather than DNS alone. According to the company, the capacity should also be in demand among other distributors that intend to increase their share of the Russian market.

From Mazda to televisions

The site's history explains its current use. In 2022, Japanese carmaker Mazda announced its exit from the Russian market. It handed its 50% stake in the Vladivostok joint venture to its Russian partner Sollers for a symbolic €1.

The project shows how industrial space left behind by departing foreign manufacturers is being repurposed for consumer electronics assembly in Russia's Far East. Its success will depend on whether the plant attracts customers beyond DNS and reaches the planned expansion to 1.2 million sets a year.