From 16–18 March 2027, NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster and NTNU invite innovators, technology companies, start-ups, researchers, students and defence professionals to Trondheim for three intensive days of collaboration, development and problem-solving.

The NORDSEC Defence Hackathon brings together people with different skills and perspectives around one common goal: developing new solutions to real challenges in defence and security.

Participants will work in multidisciplinary teams, supported by mentors and experts from technology, industry, academia and the defence sector.

From challenge to solution

The hackathon is designed to shorten the distance between operational needs, technological capabilities and new solutions.

Over three days, participants will work on defined defence and security challenges, develop concepts and test ideas together with people from across disciplines and organisations.

The ambition is not simply to generate ideas, but to create concepts and solutions with the potential to be developed further after the hackathon.

The previous hackathon in Trondheim brought together industry professionals, start-ups, students, technology communities and defence stakeholders for three intensive days focused on concrete defence challenges. 

In 2027, NORDSEC and NTNU are building on that approach with a new hackathon in Trondheim.

Who should participate?

The NORDSEC Defence Hackathon is relevant for participants from:

• Defence and security
• Start-ups and scale-ups
• Technology companies
• Established industry
• Universities and research institutions
• Engineering and software development
• Autonomous systems and robotics
• AI, data and digital technologies
• Students and entrepreneurs

You do not need to arrive with a complete team or a finished solution. Participants can join with an existing idea or technology, bring a team, or contribute their expertise to a new team during the hackathon.

The challenges

The challenges for the 2027 hackathon will be developed together with relevant defence, industry and technology partners. They will be based on real defence and security needs and selected to create opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, technologies and organisations.

The 2027 challenges will be announced soon.

Why join?

The hackathon gives participants the opportunity to:

• Work directly with relevant defence and security challenges
• Develop technology and concepts in an intensive environment
• Collaborate across industry, academia, start-ups and defence
• Get input from experienced mentors and domain experts
• Test new applications for existing technologies
• Build new partnerships and teams
• Develop concepts with the potential to continue beyond the hackathon

In the heart of Norway’s technology community

The hackathon takes place in Trondheim, with NORDSEC and NTNU as organisers.

The previous 2026 event was also held in Trondheim, with NORDSEC as the Norwegian host and NTNU among its key partners.

For 2027, the collaboration between NORDSEC and NTNU will provide a meeting point between defence needs, research, entrepreneurship and technological expertise.