Russia to Open Digital Education Hubs to Teach IT From School Age
Murmansk Region plans to launch 12 sites this year focused on robotics and artificial intelligence.
By 2026, the Murmansk Region plans to open twelve digital education spaces for school students. The new sites will focus on robotics, neural networks, virtual and augmented reality, as well as unmanned aerial systems.
“Zhit na Severe” With “Arkticheskaya Shkola”
According to the regional Ministry of Education and Science, one of the core goals of the projects is to create and develop modern technology zones within educational institutions where students can acquire in-demand digital skills.
All twelve sites are scheduled to open in 2026. They will offer training in robotics, phygital technologies, virtual and augmented reality, as well as hands-on work with neural networks and artificial intelligence technologies.
Digital Education Centers
The region already operates three children’s digital education centers under the IT-Kub program in Murmansk, Snezhnogorsk, and Aleksandrovsk. In 2025, around 4,000 school students completed training at these centers — a 41% increase compared with 2024. Officials attribute the growing interest to the expansion of digital programs and active student participation in regional and interregional events.
The development of digital education infrastructure has already delivered tangible results. In 2025, the Murmansk Region hosted the final stage of the Russian Robotics Olympiad, widely regarded as one of the country’s most prominent competitions in technical creativity and engineering education for school students.
