Bangladesh’s largest VLSI competition, ‘VLSITHON 3.0’, officially began today with an opening ceremony held at 10 AM on Friday at the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) campus in the capital, a press release said.

This year’s edition has set a new participation record. A total of 106 teams comprising around 210 competitors from more than 30 universities across the country have registered, marking the highest turnout in the history of the country’s VLSI competitions.

For the first time, this year’s competition introduces “Place and Route (PnR),” one of the most in-demand domains in the semiconductor industry. Over the coming weeks, selected teams will go through screening rounds, training workshops, case analysis and problem-solving sessions, and idea presentations before advancing to the final round, where the champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up teams will be selected.

VLSITHON 3.0 is organized by Ulkasemi, the pioneer of Bangladesh’s semiconductor industry, in association with the Ulkasemi VLSI Training Institute (UVTI), and supported by the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). Recognized as the country’s largest chip design competition, the opening ceremony was attended by AIUB Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Saiful Islam as chief guest, along with Ulkasemi CEO and President Mohammed Enayetur Rahman as special guest. Also present were Ulkasemi Chairman Dr. Arifa Chowdhury Rahman, AIUB Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman, Associate Professor Dr. Shahriyar Masud Rizvi, Ananya Zaman, Founder of PC Helpline BD, and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Ulkasemi CEO and President Mohammed Enayetur Rahman said, “The participation of 106 teams in the third edition of VLSITHON shows that Bangladesh’s youth are preparing themselves for the semiconductor industry of tomorrow. Every edition, we have witnessed the extraordinary potential of our young engineers in technology and innovation, and this year’s record turnout further strengthens that momentum.”

“For the first time, we have introduced the Place and Route (PnR) category, so that students can gain hands-on experience by solving real-world back-end chip design problems. Semiconductor chips are the foundation of modern technology, including artificial intelligence, which is why building skilled human resources in this sector is now one of the most pressing needs of our time.”

He further added, “In the coming years, the global semiconductor market is expected to reach approximately USD 1.3 trillion. To seize this opportunity, students need to become more skilled, hardworking, and capable of solving real-world problems. This is precisely why we continue to organize VLSITHON. We believe that with the right patronage and policy support, Bangladesh’s semiconductor sector can become a multi-billion-dollar industry by 2030, and these young engineers will be the driving force behind that journey.”

In his address as chief guest, AIUB Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Saiful Islam said, “There was a time when only a handful of students from the EEE and CSE departments were interested in building careers in the VLSI sector. Seeing such a large number of students participate in VLSITHON today truly fills me with joy and hope. It shows that interest in the semiconductor industry is growing rapidly among our young people. In the future, greater opportunities will emerge domestically for building skills and careers in this sector. Large-scale initiatives like VLSITHON are extremely important for cultivating student interest in semiconductor technology and developing a skilled future workforce.”

Also present as a guest at the event was Ananya Zaman of PC Helpline BD, who said, “When I went to Taiwan, I learned that Bangladesh also designs semiconductors, and Ulkasemi designs semiconductors in Bangladesh and is a TSMC DCA partner. It fills us with immense pride that our engineers, working right here at homeland, are contributing to such a major sector.”

Following the opening ceremony, a day-long workshop was held, giving students the opportunity to build proficiency in EDA tools alongside theoretical learning. The main competition will take place on August 15, where the selected teams will undertake case analysis and problem-solving along with idea presentations. A total prize pool of BDT 2 lakh (200,000) has been set for the winning teams of VLSITHON 3.0.