The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is part of a well-established European initiative under the European Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), coordinated by the European Commission through DG DEFIS. The hackathon will be held in Norway for the first time, in Trondheim on March 26–28, 2026, and builds on experience from previous European editions that have gathered participants from multiple countries and hundreds of professionals from the defence and technology sectors.
The event primarily brings together experienced industry professionals and start-ups, in addition to students, technology communities, industry representatives, and defence stakeholders for three intensive days focused on developing solutions to concrete defence challenges.
The hackathon is part of the EU’s EUDIS programme (European Defence Innovation Scheme) and will be hosted in eight simultaneous hackathons at different national locations across EU Member States and Norway that tackle pressing defence challenges for the European defence and security sector.
By working on real-world defence issues, participants contribute to strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem and cooperation with partners, including Ukraine.
In addition to local prizes, the eight national hackathon winners gain access to 40 hours of mentoring programme held over two months, get to pitch in front of EU Member States representatives, and the top three EU-wide winners get to attend an international high-tech event to pitch their solutions. The mentoring programme will support the eight winning teams in building sustainable and successful businesses, introducing them to important defence knowledge and contacts.
The Norwegian host is the NORDSEC Nordic Defence and Security Cluster, in collaboration with key partners: NTNU, SINTEF, StartupTRD, the Norwegian Army Weapons School, the Home Guard School and Competence Centre, NORBIT, Teledyne FLIR, Sopra Steria, Oskar Pedersen, Fremtidens Industri, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, FI Ocean Space incubator and Testination.
“This is a unique opportunity to connect technology, operational experience, and industry to develop solutions that can actually be deployed,” says Tevje Ravn Eggan, Cluster Manager at NORDSEC.
Tevje Ravn Eggan, klyngeleder i NORDSEC. Foto: Lars bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
The Spring 2026 edition has the main theme Defending Airspace, with the following challenges:
Challenge 1: Cost-effective drone interceptors
Challenge 2: Next generation drone detection systems
Challenge 3: Local Organiser–Defined Challenge: Multi-domain Operations
The themes reflect some of Europe’s most pressing defence and security needs, based on European cooperation with Ukraine and the strategic priorities of the EUDIS programme.
Participants will develop innovative and practical solutions in air defense and drone technology. The goal is to promote concrete concepts that can be further developed and put into use. The hackathon is aimed at start-ups and industry professionals, as well as students who want to develop or advance an idea or concept. Participants can register as individuals or as teams.
We are especially looking for participants with technologies at TRL 5–6 – solutions that have already been tested in relevant environments and can be demonstrated and further developed during the hackathon. TRL 5–6 means that the technology has progressed from concept and lab testing to being validatable and demonstrable in realistic environments, and is ready for further development and integration into real-world systems.
Dates: March 26–28, 2026
Location: NTNU’s innovation hub Gruva, Trondheim
Duration: 3 days
April 6: Mentor programme kick-off
June 11: Live pitching for EU-wide competition
The event is supported by research environments, relevant defence sector stakeholders, and industry partners, and gathers participants from across the Nordic and Baltic regions.
Participants receive close follow-up from mentors with backgrounds from defence, research, and industrial development.
The Norwegian Armed Forces’ innovation units, together with researchers from NTNU and SINTEF as well as representatives from Norwegian industry, will serve as mentors during the event. They will contribute actively by supporting, advising, and challenging the solutions developed by students and start-ups throughout the hackathon.
The mentor programme enables participants to further develop their solutions after the hackathon, connect with European defence stakeholders and decision-makers, and expand their professional networks — particularly valuable for early-stage start-ups.
EUDIS Defence Hackathon Norway – Prizes
1st place – EUR 6,000
2nd place – EUR 3,000
3rd place – EUR 1,500
Through the event, NORDSEC aims to strengthen Trondheim’s role as a key arena for defence innovation in the Nordic region.
“Trondheim is already one of Norway’s strongest technology regions, with close collaboration between academia, industry, and the public sector. Through this hackathon, we are taking a new step in connecting this expertise to defence and security needs,” says Torbjørn Lundberg, Project Manager at NORDSEC.
An important objective of the hackathon is to strengthen cooperation between civilian innovation environments and the defence sector. The format is designed to make it easier for new actors to contribute technology and solutions to defence-related problem areas.
“We see a growing need to mobilise the whole of society to meet future security challenges. This event is a concrete measure to connect new actors to the defence domain,” says Tevje Ravn Eggan.
Torbjørn Lundberg, prosjektleder i NORDSEC.Foto: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Registration is now open. Practical information and programme details will be published continuously.
Contact persons: