Riyadh: Today marked the start of the first hackathon focused on semiconductor integrated circuit design. Organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) at its headquarters in Riyadh, the event is held in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), with sponsorship from ALAT, Siemens, and CDT Holding.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the ‘Chipathon,’ which is supervised by the Saudi Semiconductors Program (SSP) and Academy 32, aims to enhance the national human capacity of participants in integrated circuit design, enable talent to acquire scientific expertise using design tools that comply with international standards, and establish a national pool of engineers and designers in the field of electronic chips.
More than 700 male and female students from 31 Saudi universities applied to participate in the Chipathon. Over 250 male and female students representing 25 Saudi universities qualified to participate in the hackathon, which aims to prepare them and enhance their capabilities in developing electronic chips capable of addressing challenges in various fields, most notably Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Participants will undergo an intensive 20-hour training program using globally recognized Siemens tools.
The training phase of the competition involves selecting 30 participants, divided into 10 teams, to advance to the final stage of the Chipathon. During this phase, the teams will develop innovative solutions to address real-world challenges in chip design previously presented by ALAT. These solutions will be evaluated by a panel of expert judges, comprising leading local and international specialists in the semiconductor industry.
The organization of the Chipathon comes as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to qualify national competencies in semiconductor technology, which is considered one of the most vital sectors under Vision 2030, aimed at transforming the Kingdom into an advanced regional hub in the field of semiconductor technologies.
The Chipathon is one of the national initiatives through which KACST seeks to localize semiconductor technologies. It launched the SSP to support R and D and human resources development, as well as the semiconductor incubator program ‘Ignition’ to support entrepreneurs and incubate startups.
To further localize the semiconductor industry, KACST also founded the National Capabilities Center for Semiconductors in partnership with KAUST. In addition, KACST established a joint master’s program in semiconductors to qualify male and female students through blended learning in partnership with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
