{"id":5443,"date":"2026-11-05T18:27:03","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T14:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skwozniak.com\/index\/2026\/11\/05\/chiplets-ai-agents-and-silicon-highlights-from-the-international-microelectronics-forum-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T18:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T14:27:03","slug":"chiplets-ai-agents-and-silicon-highlights-from-the-international-microelectronics-forum-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skwozniak.com\/index\/2026\/11\/05\/chiplets-ai-agents-and-silicon-highlights-from-the-international-microelectronics-forum-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiplets, AI Agents and Silicon: Highlights From the International Microelectronics Forum 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The second day of Silicon Mountains 2026<\/a> in Yerevan was dedicated to the International Microelectronics Forum, which brought leading international and Armenian microelectronics and semiconductor companies to the stage. The talks shared one theme: how next-generation systems are designed, tested and managed when complexity outgrows conventional approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Katayoon Basharkhah of IMEC at the International Microelectronics Forum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chiplets and the future of automotive compute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Katayoon Basharkhah, Lead Technologist at IMEC (Belgium), presented the future of automotive computing platforms. The industry, she said, is moving toward heterogeneous, chiplet-based systems driven by the demands of AI, performance and scalability. Standardization and interoperability are essential on this path \u2014 and the key question is no longer \u201ccan we build this?\u201d but \u201chow do we design and validate the right chiplet system before first silicon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr.
Katayoon Basharkhah on chiplet-based automotive platforms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Testing across the whole silicon lifecycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Artur Jutman, founder and CEO of Estonia\u2019s Testonica, argued that classic testing is no longer enough given the complexity of high-performance and AI systems. In his approach, test solutions should be reused throughout the entire silicon lifecycle \u2014 from manufacturing to in-field monitoring \u2014 and the data collected on-chip should be turned into fault management, from diagnosis all the way to autonomous recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI agents in chip design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Faisal Shturu, Technical Account Manager at Siemens EDA, showed how AI is changing design work. His three main points: agentic systems flag risks before they become problems; AI agents explore several directions at once; and expertise gets captured in the tool rather than staying with individual specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synopsys: 100% of graduates employed in microelectronics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Vazgen Melikyan, Director of the Educational Department at Synopsys Armenia, presented results of the Synopsys educational program. According to his data, 100% of the program\u2019s graduates have found jobs in microelectronics, 77% of them at Synopsys Armenia, and 56% of the company\u2019s employees have come through the program. In total, the program has trained 95 PhDs, 1,161 master\u2019s and 1,588 bachelor\u2019s graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A speaker at the International Microelectronics Forum 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

AI networks start with silicon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arsen Manukyan, Head of Cisco Armenia, spoke about the evolution of AI networks, reminding the audience that it all starts with silicon. He presented systems powered by the Cisco Silicon One G300 platform, featuring 100% liquid cooling and around 70% higher energy efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Arsen
Arsen Manukyan: AI networks start with silicon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Validation, timing and data-center silicon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n