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Russian 
EKATERINBURG, November 10, 2025. Today, the opening ceremony of the International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition took place at the Ekaterinburg-Expo International Exhibition Center. This year, more than 500 competitors representing over 50 companies from 15 countries will compete for the title of best in their professional fields.
Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, addressed the participants with a welcoming address: "This event is an important element of our work to develop the skills of employees at Russian industrial enterprises. It allows us to identify and scale up best practices, improve professional standards and educational programs. Ahead of you are several days of fair competition in four dozen skills critically needed both for the current production process and for the near future of high-tech industries. Some areas are particularly relevant for building the country's technological leadership, including machine learning and big data, artificial intelligence and robotics, quantum solutions, and composite technologies. In these and other areas, the championship provides an opportunity to conduct a kind of skills assessment. This allows us to refine the focus of state policy on professional skills development, effectively adjust productivity-enhancing tools, and analyze and leverage the experience of our international guests. Particular attention should be paid to expanding the practice of regional competitions with a focus on the most in-demand skills for each region. It's especially significant that this year the International Festival of Scientific and Technical Creativity for Children and Youth has joined the Hi-Tech ecosystem. Here, future engineers will propose ideas for solving real-world production challenges.
Maria Elkina, Director General of the Agency for the Development of Professional Excellence, emphasized this year's innovations: "The Hi-Tech Competition is not just an annual competition, but a strategic platform for shaping the country's technological leadership. We are tailoring the skills of the future to the real needs of the economy: from applied tasks in critical areas, such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), to the future creation of a unified space of professional standards with our BRICS partners. It is through Hi-Tech and the Youth Festival that we connect talent with opportunities, ambitions with needs, laying the foundation for the next generation of engineers and specialists."
In his speech, Alexander Vaino, Director of the Young Professionals Division at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), emphasized the international and collaborative nature of the event: “Hi-Tech: Skills of the Future” is a unique platform that drives the training of highly qualified specialists for industry. This year, the championship brings together talented specialists and young professionals from Russia and more than 15 partner countries. This is more than just a competition—it is a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and best practices, creating new growth areas for technological development. We see how an international community of like-minded individuals focused on innovative industrial development is forming around Hi-Tech. A separate mission of the championship is to work with the future, with the younger generation. The Final of the International Youth Science and Technology Creativity Festival and the Final of the International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition deliberately immerse young talents in the epicenter of high technology and professional excellence. It is this live, visual immersion that serves as their most powerful incentive and the most important guideline in their professional self-determination, giving rise to the desire to become part of the high-tech future of the Russian economy.”
Acting Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Dmitry Ionin noted in his welcoming speech: “The International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition serves the region as a powerful branding and talent marketing tool. Ultimately, this translates into investment, new jobs, and sustainable technological development in the Sverdlovsk Region. The competition is more than just a competition; it's a powerful demonstration of our capabilities. We clearly demonstrate that the Sverdlovsk Region is not only an industrial region with a rich history, but also a place where cutting-edge technologies are being implemented. We are bringing together the best young minds, world-class experts, and the most relevant competencies. This has a positive impact on attracting investors, who particularly value the opportunity to work with qualified personnel. Hi-Tech serves as convincing proof that the Sverdlovsk Region is developing these specialists.”
Winners and runners-up will be determined in three key categories: national, international, and overall. Following the competition, all competitors will receive competency certificates confirming their proficiency in practical skills. The prize fund for the International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition in 2025 will be 6.5 million rubles.
Key innovations of "Hi-Tech-2025":
International Youth Science and Technology Creativity Festival: For the first time, more than 100 young inventors aged 12 to 20 will present their projects alongside professionals. The festival will serve as a bridge between talented youth and future employers.
- Demonstration Competition Format: Introduced for the first time for competencies such as "Electrical Installation," "CAD Engineering Design," "Occupational Safety," and "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operation." This will allow new companies and participants to become familiar with the competition system and standards in an accessible and transparent format.
- A robust international program: Over 120 international competitors and experts from 15 countries, including China, India, Iran, the UAE, Belarus, and the BRICS countries, will participate in the championship in person. Another 100+ participants will join remotely.
- Focus on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): A pilot project has been launched to develop and test advanced UAS solutions for agriculture, logistics, and energy, with potential for further implementation.
Reference information:
The competition will take place from November 10 to 14, 2025. Over the course of five days, participants will complete real-world production tasks based on requests from leading Russian corporations, such as Rosatom, Roscosmos, Rostec, SIBUR, Russian Railways, and others. The competition will cover 41 competencies, covering key areas of high-tech industry.
The International Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition has been held in Yekaterinburg since 2014 by the Skills Development Agency with the support of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and the Government of the Sverdlovsk Region. It is Russia's largest professional skills competition among industrial specialists.
