The prospects for the development of the National Technological Olympiad were discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA.

On April 24, the National Technological Olympiad (NTO) celebrated its tenth anniversary at the National Centre RUSSIA. Two major events took place on this day: the fifth meeting of the Olympiad’s organising committee and the "Torch" award ceremony — a prize for NTO alumni who have achieved significant results in science, engineering, business, and mentoring.

The meeting of the organising committee was opened by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation and Co-Chairman of the organising committee of the National Technological Olympiad, Sergei Kiriyenko.

"The National Technological Olympiad is now 10 years old — the time has flown by, but the results are something to be proud of. Since 2015, the NTO has brought together nearly 900,000 school and university students from across Russia, as well as from 77 other countries. Originally conceived as an all-Russian engineering competition, the Olympiad has gradually reached the international level. But the NTO is not just about scale. The most important thing is the people. Young, bright, and talented individuals who are already creating the future. Some of the winning projects could easily be compared to serious scientific works, worthy of a candidate’s dissertation. We are confident that with the launch of the 11th season, the number of participants will exceed one million. But more important than the quantity is the quality — young people who truly change reality with their ideas and developments," said the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation and Co-Chairman of the NTO organising committee, Sergei Kiriyenko.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko added that next year the number of participating countries should be increased, and he thanked the NTO partners.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our leading technological partners — companies such as Sber, Yandex, Roscosmos, 1C, and others. Thanks to their support, the Olympiad is held at a truly high level. I am confident that this list will grow. And the NTO will become an even more powerful tool for talent development and the strengthening of international scientific and technological cooperation," emphasised Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The first item on the agenda of the meeting was to summarise the results of the decade of the country’s largest engineering competition. Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Deputy Co-Chairman of the NTO organising committee, spoke about the development of the Olympiad movement and the results of the NTO’s ten years. He noted that the NTO preserves and continues the traditions of the Moscow Mathematical Olympiad: it is a movement that brings together like-minded people and fellow thinkers. Nikita Anisimov also emphasised the growth of the NTO over the past years. For example, the first final of the Olympiad gathered around 1,200 participants, and this year there were about 220,000.

Dmitry Zemtsov, Vice-Rector of the HSE and Executive Secretary of the NTO organising committee, proposed an initiative to create a map of participants’ technological competencies for analysing skills and their relevance to industry needs. He noted that the map would allow the analysis and systematisation of the skills developed within the NTO and their alignment with industry demands. This tool could become a basis for strategic planning and the adaptation of educational programmes. The initiative was supported by both Co-Chairmen of the Olympiad organising committee.

President of the Association of Technological Circle Participants, leader of the National Cyber-Physical Platform "Berloga," and member of the NTO Organising Committee Alexei Fedoseyev spoke about the goals of the "Torch" award and its nominees. As a result, it was decided that the award would be held annually.

Naturally, the participants of the meeting also discussed the future of team engineering competitions. Dmitry Zemtsov set the direction for development. He shared that the NTO plans to establish the International Space Games. In addition, the Executive Secretary of the NTO organising committee spoke about plans to revive the "Young Technicians" movement as a nationwide initiative. Chairman of the board of the Movement of the First and member of the NTO organising committee Artur Orlov joined the discussion on this topic.

"An important platform for cooperation in the development of the National Technological Olympiad will be the project of the Movement of the First, 'First in Science,' implemented within the framework of the national project 'Youth and Children.' As early as 2025, a network of Scientific Clubs of the First will be launched in 30 pilot regions of Russia, including, in collaboration with the Circle Movement, engineering-focused clubs — clubs of young technicians. Young techs will study modern technologies, invention, and the creation of useful mechanisms and devices. The Movement of the First will equip the clubs with everything necessary to conduct experiments, research, and development. Children from the Scientific Clubs of the First will be better prepared for various tracks of the National Technological Olympiad and will be able to present their scientific developments at the federal level," noted Hero of Russia, participant of the Presidential Program "Time of Heroes," and Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First Artur Orlov.

Immediately after the organising committee meeting, the ceremonial part began — the awarding of the "Torch" prize. The ceremony was opened by First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and Co-Chairman of the NTO organising committee Sergei Kiriyenko.

"It is very important that the best participants of the National Technological Olympiad are being honoured here at the National Centre RUSSIA. It was established by the instruction of the President of Russia, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, as a place that brings together everything our country is proud of. And despite all the immense wealth of Russia — its unique industrial enterprises and institutes — the main wealth of our country is, of course, its people. People with their talent, energy, patriotism, diligence, and dreams. I am confident that it won’t be long before the results of your projects, your discoveries, and your fulfilled dreams will be presented here as a source of national pride," said Sergei Kiriyenko.

Dmitry Chernyshenko also addressed the guests of the award ceremony:

"It is very symbolic that the first recognition of the 'Torch' award winners takes place in the tenth anniversary year of the NTO. As Sergei Vladilenovich decided, and we included this in the official protocol, it will now be an annual event. In addition to rewarding the winners, it is important to remember those who prepared them. These include mentors, teachers, parents, and our technological partners who helped create the conditions for the realization of talent and potential, as instructed by our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. So that together, we can ensure not only technological sovereignty, but also technological leadership for our country. Thank you very much, and congratulations to the winners. Create, dare, try — you will succeed!", said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The short list for the award included 21 applications. The selection of finalists went through several stages: first, the applications were screened for compliance with all criteria, then a public vote was held. Based on the results of this vote, a short list was formed and evaluated by an expert jury. Not only the name of the award is symbolic, but also the prize itself — a signature glowing statuette in the shape of a flame, which can only "light up" in the hands of those involved in the NTO and the creation of future technologies. The best of the best were awarded in seven categories reflecting the key areas of professional achievement of the Olympiad alumni.

In the category "Startup Leader", the award was presented to Daniil Zaitsev and Anastasia Popova — creators of the SkyControl system for operating UAVs through hand tilts and gestures. This system engages children and teenagers in the world of robotics and technical sciences from an early age. They were awarded by the Chair of the Commission of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation on Education and Upbringing and member of the NTO organising committee Natalia Kravchenko, and the Director General of the presidential platform "Russia – Land of Opportunity" Andrei Betin.

In the category "Social Progressor", the winners were the creators of the "Green School" project — Polina Sapozhnikova, Anna Budekova, and Matvei Karachev. They create green corners in schools with informational stands and thematic cubes. This helps foster ecological thinking and eco-habits in the younger generation. The award was presented to them by Yelena Vesna, Vice Rector of the National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI", and Andrei Nikolayenko, Director of the Target Capital Fund of the NRU HSE.

The title "Professional of the Future" was awarded to German Golod, who, as a student, works as a 1C developer at T-Bank. According to him, participation in the NTO helped him acquire the necessary skills. Dmitry Shpanov was recognized as the "Engineer of Innovation" for developing a computer model for selecting the mode of electron-beam processing of alloys or ceramics. The technology is already in demand in Russian and international projects (China, Bulgaria).

In the "Champion of Technologies" category, the winner was Eduard Sukharev, a multiple winner of Russian and international competitions in the operation of unmanned aerial systems. He won the "Moscow Masters" and "Young Professionals" competitions, as well as a number of international trials, including the VI competition for designing future aircraft in China. Eduard received his "Torch" from Boris Nuraliev, Director of the company "1C."

The title of "Best Mentor" was awarded to Arseniy Yarmolinsky, an informatics teacher and extracurricular educator, who has prepared dozens of finalists and winners of the NTO and other engineering competitions. This year, 12 of his protégés participated in the NTO, including one winner and three prize-winners in the "Satellite Systems" profile. The mentor was congratulated on his victory by Larisa Pastukhova, President of the "Sistema" Charitable Foundation.

Dmitry Zemtsov, Vice-Rector of the NRU HSE and Secretary of the NTO organizing committee, congratulated the "Engine of Science" winner. In this category, the winner was Maria Tishkova, a junior researcher at the Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Her research focuses on myology, the study of muscles. She is currently studying actin and tropomyosin to identify molecular disruptions in known mutations and select therapy.

Let us remind you that the Olympiad is organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, in collaboration with the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity," as part of the national project "Youth and Children," with the support of the Movement of the First, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Platform NTI." The NTO project office is based at the NRU HSE, with methodological support from the Association of Participants in Technological Clubs (NTI Club Movement).