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EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026: Call for Participants (For Immediate Release) Brussels
– The 4th edition of the EUDIS (EU Defence Innovation Scheme) Defence
Hackathon will focus on defending the European airspace. Taking place
simultaneously across eight locations in the European Union and Norway
on 26–28 March 2026, the EUDIS Hackathon will gather innovators to
create solutions for some of Europe’s toughest defence and airspace
challenges. The Hackathon will gather participants to engage with
industry experts, tackle real-world defence issues, and contribute to
innovative solutions that enhance European defence capabilities. As of
16 February, participants are invited to register to the event until 20
March. This is more than a competition; it is an entry point into
Europe’s defence innovation network. By
bringing together talent and expertise across Europe, the EUDIS Defence
Hackathon Spring 2026 will contribute to a more competitive and
innovative European defence industry, support skills development locally
and strengthen links between civil deep-tech innovation and defence
applications. Join the EUDIS Hackathon Spring 2026 edition at these locations Starburst Accelerator SAS – France Arribes Enlightment – Spain NORDSEC – Norway Stiching Dotspace – The Netherlands University of Defence (UNOB) – Czech Republic Oceanstrategy Unipessoal LDA (Productized) – Portugal Krakowski Park Technologiczny sp. z o.o. – Poland Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA) – Romania
The
selected eight local organisers from the above-mentioned countries will
lead the regional hackathons across Europe, bringing together startups,
researchers, innovators and military end-users to tackle Europe’s most
urgent defence and security priorities. These organisations are the
driving force behind dynamic regional defence hackathons, bringing
together top innovators and ensuring tangible impact on real-world
defence and security scenarios. Since
its launch, the EUDIS Defence Hackathon has evolved to be one of the
European Union’s flagship instruments for accelerating innovation in the
defence sector. Over the first three editions, the initiative has
delivered 24 hackathons across Europe – engaging more than 1,200
participants from the EU, Norway and Ukraine. The Spring 2026 edition
forms part of the EU’s broader initiative to strengthen defence
readiness and accelerate disruptive innovation by 2030 – connecting
Europe’s rapidly expanding “New Defence” ecosystem with specific
real-life defence needs. The
Defending Airspace theme addresses urgent challenges in our airspace
protection and drone systems, building on the European Union’s
cooperation with Ukraine. The hackathon format is designed around a set
of defined challenges for what the participating teams will develop and
prototype active solutions in cooperation with operators in the defence
industry. Ukrainian Participation Encouraged Across All Locations The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS) actively invites Ukrainian citizens
to participate in the Spring 2026 edition of the EUDIS Defence
Hackathon across all locations. Ukrainian participants are encouraged to
join as competitors, mentors or jury members, ensuring that Ukrainian
perspectives and operational insights continue to contribute to the
development of innovative, deployable solutions aligned with the defence
priorities.
A Strong European Commitment to mentoring young defence innovators The
EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, highlighted
the importance of connecting startups with defence experts and end-users
for an effective drone detection system: “The EU’s response to Russia’s
ongoing war on Ukraine must be firm, united and immediate. Supporting
the next generation of EUDIS Hackathon innovators is key to transforming
our vision for drone detection and a resilient European defense into
reality. The EUDIS Hackathon has generated unprecedented interest,
highlighting the vast potential within our borders and reaffirming
Europe’s leading role in shaping the future of innovation on the global
stage. The Hackathon forges new paths, tackles challenges, and
accelerates progress in defence and security. Providing strategic
support and mentoring emerging innovators is the way forward to a strong
EU space and defence sector.” Background The
EUDIS Defence Hackathon offers a unique platform to gain insights into
the European defence sector, connect with peers and experts, and
leverage knowledge to tackle current defence challenges. These
hackathons take place simultaneously in multiple locations across
Europe, featuring the same set of challenges and timeline to: Promote
skills development and attract new talents to the defence sector from
several regions of the European Union, Norway and Ukraine. Foster
connections between different communities, linking young researchers
and innovators with defence industry experts and end-users such as the
Armed Forces. Provide
an environment for creating innovative solutions, supporting the
defence needs of EU Member States, Norway and Ukraine – contributing to a
more competitive and innovative defence industry across all regions. Increase awareness of EUDIS initiatives and programmes. What’s next ? Registrations for the EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026 opened on
17 February 2026. Join us in one of the eight regional locations or
connect online to help shape the future of European defence. Sign up now at: https://eudis-hackathon.eu Timeline: Participant registrations: 16 February 2026 – 20 March 2026 Participant info session webinar: TBD Hackathon events across eight locations: 26-28 March 2026 For media inquiries, partnerships, participant registrations, or additional information, please contact us at contact@eudis-hackathon.eu. | 
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