DG DEFIS invites you to the EUDIS Defence Hackathon focusing on Technologies for Space and Defence, scheduled from 17 to 19 October. The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is expected to bring more than 500 participants that will form highly innovative teams to propose disruptive solutions in the field of space and defence tech domains, in eight simultaneous locations: Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland and Portugal, addressing urgent defence challenges for the European defence sector and beyond. The Defence Hackathon welcomes participants from EU Member States, Norway, and Ukraine. This third edition of the EUDIS Defence Hackathon marks the first collaboration with BraveTech EU, announced in a Joint EU-Ukraine statement on July 2025 to incorporate battlefield insights and strengthen defence innovation cooperation. We are delighted to see that Ukrainian participants have registered to compete at nearly all hackathon locations. It gives a good indication for the follow up stages planned under Brave TechEU for 2026, namely bootcamps that will build on the Hackathons experience.
The main theme of this EUDIS Hackathon edition is Technologies for Space and Defence.
Why Technologies for Space and Defence?
Since space is a key enabler for defence and an increasingly contested domain, maintaining control and resilience in the space domain is essential.
This hackathon theme investigates how the European space ecosystem can support defence missions and operations and help foster a secure space environment – including through artificial intelligence, more autonomous and secure systems, and innovative solutions for data collection and processing. The Hackathon will also address drone warfare in the context of Ukrainian real operational experience. Drone threats is a common challenge and threat for Ukraine and EU Member States. Mastering drone technologies, particularly drone countermeasures it is a natural area for cooperation from which EU and Ukrainian innovators can mutually benefit.
The main hackathon theme is subdivided into three challenges: 1) Protection of Space Assets - detect, analyze and counter threats in space; 2) Space for Defence - Earth-Observation, Navigation, Communication, and coordination of multi-domain military operations; 3) Sovereign Aerospace – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Management, Production, and Countermeasures.
Each challenge, supported by local organisers through makeathon capabilities, will enable rapid prototyping and hands-on development in both hardware and software domains.
Does this speak to you?
Along with the local sponsored prizes, the eight national hackathon winners will receive access to a 40-hour mentoring programme over two months, will have the opportunity to pitch their innovations to experts, investors and policymakers, and the top three EU-wide competition winners will attend an international high-tech event to showcase their solutions. The mentoring programme aims to help the eight winning teams develop sustainable and successful businesses by providing essential defence knowledge and contacts.
Event Timeline:
- Pre-hackathon webinar: watch recording here
- Registration closes: 17 October 2025
- Hackathon weekend: 17-19 October 2025
- Mentoring programme until December
- Live pitching in front of EU member states in January
For more information visit: https://eudis-hackathon.eu/
Details
- Publication date
- 9 October 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space