21st International Microelectronics Olympiad awards ceremony held at Silicon Mountains 2026

The awards ceremony for the 21st International Microelectronics Olympiad took place as part of the two-day Silicon Mountains 2026 summit, which has opened in Yerevan.

The International Microelectronics Olympiad was established in 2006 at the initiative of Synopsys and under the high patronage of the Armenian Prime Minister. It is open to specialists under 30 and is organised by Synopsys Armenia in cooperation with the IEEE Test Technology Technical Council.

The first round of the 20th Olympiad in 2025 attracted 1,088 students, with 34 reaching the final, including 14 from Armenia. Ali Ramezani from the United Arab Emirates was the winner. The first round of the 21st Olympiad in 2026 took place in more than 30 countries across five continents, with the final held in Yerevan on 3 November.

Speaking at the opening of the awards ceremony, Union of ICT Employers President Armen Baldryan said microelectronics was the foundation of technology and that the specialists who had competed in Yerevan over two days represented the future of technological development.

“Microelectronics is not a sector; it is a mindset, a distinctive engineering character and a particular lens through which to view the world. I want all our participants to become specialists recognised around the world in a few years’ time,” Baldryan said.

Liana Khachatryan from Armenia won first prize, while Assane Ndiaye from France took second prize. Nathalie Jouljian from Lebanon, Artur Saribekyan from Armenia and Anton Glinin from Russia shared third prize. Haykanush Petrosyan from Armenia won the Best Engineering Solution category and received the award named after war hero Arman Jagharyan.

The next International Microelectronics Forum will take place on 4 November as part of Silicon Mountains 2026.