The Ministry of Defence invites Latvian higher education institutions to apply for participation in the European Commission's Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) competition by June 22 of this year in order to obtain the right to organize an international defence industry hackathon in Latvia from October 17 to 19 of this year.
"Innovations are the basis for the sustainable development of the national security and defence system. They allow us not only to adapt to today's challenges but also to create future solutions proactively. Therefore, I call on Latvian universities to be ambitious and apply for participation in this competition so that, in the fall, Latvia can become one of the venues for a platform where ideas are created that will change the future of the defence industry. This is an opportunity to show that Latvia, with a strong academic and innovation environment, can be an even more significant player in European security," emphasises Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.
The European Commission has chosen “Technologies for Space and Defence” as the central theme for the hackathon to be held in the autumn, which is complemented by three priorities – defence against space technology threats, space-based defence solutions, and autonomous airspace technologies.
Applicants are invited to familiarise themselves with the competition rules and conditions on the official website of the European Commission’s Defence Innovation Scheme.
Universities that show interest in applying for the competition are guaranteed a letter of support from the Ministry of Defence. For more information about the Ministry of Defence's support opportunities, please get in touch with us by e-mail: janis.erno@mod.gov.lv.
As reported, Riga Technical University organised the first international defence innovation hackathon “EUDIS Defence” in Latvia from 9 to 11 May this year at the Rezekne Academy of Technology, which brought together almost 70 participants.
The team “EchoSentinel” won the Latvian selection for the hackathon, whose solution, with the help of artificial intelligence, can identify potential threats on the battlefield in real-time. In June, the team will represent Latvia in the EUDIS international final, competing with seven other defence innovations.
