The Spring 2026 edition of the EUDIS Defence Hackathon will take place simultaneously across eight locations in the European Union and Norway from 26-28 March 2026, bringing together regional innovation ecosystems to address key European defence and security challenges. The European Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) hackathon form part of the European Union’s broader initiative to strengthen defence readiness and accelerate disruptive innovation by 2030.
Local organizers driving regional defence innovation
Eight organisations have been selected as local organizers for the EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026:
- Czechia – University of Defence (UNOB)
- France – Starburst Accelerator SAS
- The Netherlands – Stichting Dotspace
- Norway – Fremtidens Industri (Future Innovations)
- Portugal – Oceanstrategy Unipessoal LDA (Productized)
- Poland – Krakowski Park Technologiczny sp. z.o.o.
- Romania – ROTSA (Romanian Tech Startup Association)
- Spain – Arribes Enlightment
The organisers will host regional hackathons and act as key actors within their ecosystems – bringing together startups, researchers, the industry, defence end-users and public authorities.
Focus on defending the European airspace
The Spring 2026 edition will focus on Defending Airspace, a strategic theme addressing urgent needs in airspace protection and drone defence. Participants will work on a set of defined challenges supported by local organisers through dedicated ‘hackathon’ and ‘makeathon’ formats, enabling rapid development and prototyping of innovative, dual-use solutions aligned with European defence priorities.
Ukrainian participation encouraged 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.
Supporting talent through mentoring
Participants will benefit from access to the EUDIS Mentoring Programme, a post-hackathon acceleration track designed to support winning teams in advancing their solutions, strengthening feasibility and preparing for engagement with defence stakeholders, investors and EU programmes.
What’s next
Registrations for the Spring 2026 EUDIS Defence Hackathon will officially open on 16th of February.
