EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia

From 15 to 17 October 2026, the European Commission’s EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) international defence innovation hackathon “Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia” will take place at the University of Latvia (UL) in Riga, bringing together startups, researchers, engineers, and technology developers.

This autumn’s hackathon will focus on the central theme “Autonomy on the Battlefield”, addressing autonomous systems and robotics solutions for air, land, maritime, and space environments. Participants will work on three challenges – navigation in environments without a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal, coordination of next-generation autonomous systems and the development of autonomous reconnaissance and logistics solutions, as well as the creation of an autonomous border defence shield capable of detecting, classifying, and prioritising low-flying threats. These challenges have been designed to foster the development of practical, scalable defence and dual-use technologies that can be deployed in real-world conditions.

Over two and a half days, participants will collaborate with defence sector experts, industry representatives, and mentors to validate their solutions, refine their application in real-world situations, and prepare them for further development. In addition to intensive work on improving their prototypes, participants will take part in lectures and practical workshops. At the conclusion of the hackathon, teams will present their solutions to a jury, competing for a prize fund of €10,000, of which €5,000 for the further development of a product or service is provided by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA)

Teams of at least two members are invited to participate in the hackathon. They must already have a developed MVP, prototype, or validated concept and wish to develop their solution in the field of defence and dual-use technologies. Team members must be at least 18 years old and be citizens of European Union Member States, Norway, or Ukraine.

More information about the hackathon, challenges, and registration is available on the EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia website.

The event is implemented within the project “Development of Innovative Entrepreneurship for SMEs”, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Union.