Expert: Armenia has a fairly well-developed semiconductor electronics  cluster

ArmInfo. Armenia has a fairly well-developed cluster of semiconductor electronics, integrated circuit (IC) and IP core development. Alexander Akulin,  the CTO (Technical Director) of AVERTURE and an official distributor  of electronics design software, expressed this viewpoint in a  conversation with an ArmInfo correspondent on the sidelines of the  DigiTec exhibition.

He noted that he has also observed strong development in the field of  industry education in Armenia, particularly in Yerevan. "From an  industrial perspective, there are not only numerous startups, but  also established companies that are beginning to develop ICs or offer  IP (Intellectual Property) core development services," the CTO said.  Noting that this is a fairly knowledge-intensive job, involving a  great deal of mathematics and algorithms, the expert emphasized that  Armenia's scientific personnel can perform it with exceptional  quality. "Our goal as a distributor is to provide software products  and computer-aided design (CAD) systems for printed circuit board  development, IP core development, microcircuit development, modeling,  verification, and analysis," Akulin stated, noting that they offer  products from two foreign companies in Armenia: the American Cadence  Design Systems and the French Dassault Systemes.

Notably, a Cadence lab recently opened at Yerevan State University  with the support of Cisco. "Cisco is known to have its own design  center in Yerevan, and they were very interested in introducing  Cadence software products into the educational system, enabling them  to attract new undergraduate and graduate students and offer  internships," AVERTURE's CTO clarified. When discussing Dassault  Systemes, Akulin said that the company offers solutions for radio  frequency design and simulation. 

"If there are companies in Armenia that use antennas, filters, and  high-frequency amplifiers in their developments, or design motors,  they need certification for their products to confirm compliance with  electromagnetic standards and regulations of a specific country,"  Akulin said. In this regard, the expert noted that 50% of devices  fail electromagnetic compatibility certification on the first attempt  and require rework. He emphasized that it is a terrible waste of time  and money. "We see Armenia as an interesting potential market and are  pleased to support Armenian businesses and education. Currently, we  are seeking contacts with educational institutions involved in  development and scientific research, as well as companies and  startups," he added.