Youth competitions in information technology, engineering and creative industries

The "IT-Planet" Center for Innovative Technology Development, with the support of leading technology and IT companies and higher education institutions, has announced the opening of registration for a series of international youth events in 2026. The projects are aimed at identifying and supporting talented youth in information technology, engineering, and the creative industries.

Competition participants have the opportunity to solve real-world problems posed by employers, present their projects to experts, develop professional skills, and compete for valuable prizes, career offers, and free training.

Key season events:

1. International Olympiad "IT-Planet 2026" (it-planet.org) is the 17th practice-oriented competition aimed at identifying and supporting talented young people in the field of information and innovative technologies. The Olympiad program includes competitions in programming, databases, operating system administration, robotics, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial systems, information security, and other relevant areas. For example, participants will be able to test their skills in the Astra Group infrastructure software ecosystem. Participants in the 1C Company competition will undergo training and develop cloud applications using 1C: Element technology. RED SOFT will provide challenging tasks on working with the RED OS operating system. Database enthusiasts will test their SQL language skills in a competition from Postgres Professional, a leading Russian database management system developer. The programming competition, supported by the Human Capital Development ANCO, will allow competitors to not only demonstrate their IT knowledge and skills but also receive a comprehensive assessment of their competencies and a "IT Career" certificate. Participants will also be able to design an organization's information security system in a competition sponsored by Infowatch and the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov and develop mobile applications in a competition sponsored by the IT company Morizo.
2. Youth Championship "User Cup 2026" (usercup.ru) is a competition and training program aimed at improving proficiency in Russian IT solutions. Students and young professionals, as well as schoolchildren aged 14 and older, are invited to participate. Participants will be able to improve their digital literacy and gain skills in using Russian IT solutions such as the Loginom low-code analytics platform, the AliveColors graphics editor, VR Concept software for working with 3D models in virtual reality, and the Esboard online whiteboard, as well as Russian neural networks. The project is supported by the Presidential Grants Fund.
3. "Unlimited Possibilities 2026" (upcontest.org) is a program for team-based development of innovative projects that improve the lives of people with disabilities and limited health capabilities. Participants in inclusive teams, with the support of experts, will be able to develop new projects or submit previously developed ones aimed at people with visual, hearing, and musculoskeletal impairments, as well as projects that improve communication among people with disabilities. The program is supported by the All-Russian Society of Disabled People, the All-Russian Society of the Deaf, the All-Russian Society of the Blind, and the Pronavyki project.
4. Phygital Sporttech Innovation Cup 2026 (sporttechcup.ru) is an open youth competition for technological innovation in physical education and sports. The competition aims to develop and collect ideas and projects in areas such as innovation in phygital sports and esports, digital environments and VR/AR technologies in sports, wearable devices, and smart clothing. The co-organizer of the event is the ITMO University.
5. Terra-Polytech 2026 Digital Transformation Olympiad (terra-politech.ru) is an open competition in the field of digital transformation of social and technological spaces. The competition program includes contests on digital transformation in the industrial technological environment, social spaces of cultural and historical sites, and natural resorts. The co-organizer of the event is the South-Russian State Polytechnical University named after M.I. Platov.

"In previous seasons, we held the Olympiad only for developers and engineers. This year, we are also launching the "User Cup 2026" youth championship, which is a satellite of the IT-Planet Olympiad and is part of its program. This event will allow us to attract participation not only to innovation creators but also to those who use technology in their daily lives, studies, and work, including those without a technical background," noted Sergey Shalashny, Chairman of the Board of the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization "IT-Planet" Center for Innovative Technology Development."

All events are held on the international innovation competition platform BRAIM (braim.org). Over 30,000 people from around the world are expected to participate. The language of the competitions is Russian.

The events are organized by the ANCO Center for Innovative Technology Development "IT-Planet" with the support of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of Russia, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, the RUSSOFT Association, the ARPP "Domestic Software," and the BRAIM platform.

The event's partners are leading technology companies and organizations: Astra Group, Postgres Professional, Morizo, 1C, RED SOFT, InfoWatch, SUPU (NPI) named after M.I. Platov, NArFU named after M.V. Lomonosov, Ivannikov Institute for System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the All-Russian Society of Disabled People, the All-Russian Society of the Deaf, and the "Pronavyki" project.

Registration and selection stages