Saudi Arabia has launched its first hackathon focused on semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) design, marking a key step toward enhancing the Kingdom’s national competencies in semiconductor technology.
Chipathon is organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) at its headquarters in Riyadh, in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), with sponsorship from ALAT, Siemens, and CDT Holding.
Supervised by the Saudi Semiconductors Program (SSP) and Academy 32, Chipathon aims to enhance the skills of participants in integrated circuit design, equip them with scientific expertise using design tools that comply with international standards, and cultivate a national pool of engineers and designers in the field of electronic chips.
Over 700 students from 31 Saudi universities applied to take part in the Chipathon. Among these applications, more than 250 students from 25 Saudi universities were qualified to participate in the hackathon.
The hackathon will provide them with essentials skills to develop electronic chips capable of addressing challenges across various fields, most notably Internet of Things (IoT) applications. As part of this, participants will undergo an intensive 20-hour training program using globally recognized Siemens tools.
The training phase will select 30 participants; divide them into 10 teams, to advance to the final stage of the Chipathon. During this phase, the teams will develop cutting-edge solutions to address real-world challenges in chip design previously presented by ALAT. Expert judges in the semiconductor industry will evaluate these solutions.
Chipathon comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing national competencies in semiconductor technology, which is one of the key sectors under Vision 2030, aimed at transforming the Kingdom into a leading regional hub in the field of semiconductor technologies.
Through Chipathon, KACST aims to localize semiconductor technologies. SSP was launched to support R&D and human resources development, as well as the semiconductor incubator program “Ignition” to foster entrepreneurs and incubate startups.
To further localize the industry, KACST established the National Capabilities Center for Semiconductors in partnership with KAUST. In addition, KACST launched a joint master’s program in semiconductors to qualify students through blended learning in collaboration with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
