KACST Launches Second ‘Chipathon’ to Build National Expertise in AI Chip Design

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King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has launched the second edition of the “Chipathon” hackathon, dedicated to electronic chip design, organized by Academy 32 in collaboration with the Saudi Semiconductors Program. The hackathon aims to develop national talent in the semiconductor sector and enhance the Kingdom’s readiness in this vital field.
According to KACST, a total of 50 students from Saudi universities advanced to this stage, selected from more than 1,000 applicants. They were divided into 15 teams to design electronic chips for AI applications within an environment that simulates real-world industrial conditions.

Participants underwent a 20-hour preparatory program covering the fundamentals of electronic chips and semiconductor physics, followed by an intensive 50-hour program focused on integrated circuit design and its practical applications.
Over the course of four days, participants compete to design SRAM memory units for AI accelerators using standard design tools, aiming to improve performance by reducing power consumption, speeding up data access, and enhancing data transfer rates in line with the requirements of AI applications.

Participants are also working on optimizing read/write performance and data access accuracy within memory while maintaining operational efficiency and stability. Moreover, evaluation at this stage is based on design quality, level of innovation, and teamwork efficiency, which fosters the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application.
At the close of the hackathon, participating teams will present their projects to the judging panel, followed by honoring the winning teams. The winning design will also have the opportunity to be manufactured through one of the world’s leading specialized international factories.