ULKASEMI organized VLSITHON 3.0, a national-level chip design competition focused entirely on Physical Design (Place and Route), bringing together 210 students across 106 teams from 30 universities across Bangladesh.
Unlike previous editions, VLSITHON 3.0 concentrated on a single domain: IC Physical Design using Cadence EDA tools. PnR remains largely absent from university curricula in Bangladesh, and the competition was designed to bridge that gap through structured, industry-relevant training before the examination.
The first round combined hands-on training with a tool-based examination, giving participants direct exposure to the semiconductor design workflows used in the professional industry. Training sessions were conducted at two venues: American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) and Ulkasemi VLSI Training Institute (UVTI). Ulkasemi’s technical trainers led the sessions, supported by volunteers from both UVTI and AIUB.