In Kyiv, first defence tech hackathon held in search of new air defence solutions. PHOTOS
Drone Industry
European Defense Tech Hackathon (EDTH), an event dedicated to finding solutions to counter enemy drones, was held in Kyiv for the first time.
The event was organised by the European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH), Snake Island Institute, Moodro, Inflection and the Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI). It took place from 6 to 9 November and brought together more than 300 participants, Drones Industry reports.
The main goal of the event was to accelerate the development of defence technologies by building connections between experienced military personnel and engineers who aim to create solutions that actually work on the battlefield.
"Defence technologies must be created together with the military who know what really works in combat: people who understand timing, stress, terrain, enemy behaviour and the consequences of mistakes. Open communication with the military helps us build technologies for the battlefield, not for exhibitions," said Viktoriia Honcharuk, head of defence technology at Snake Island Institute.
The challenges presented at the hackathon focused on solving tasks in the areas of air defence, UAV detection, autonomous interception systems and multi-sensor data fusion. The tasks were prepared by Snake Island Institute in cooperation with Ukrainian units, including the 3rd Army Corps, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade and Nemesis, the 412th Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as partner companies.
"The goal of the first European Defense Tech Hackathon in Kyiv was to strengthen cooperation between experienced Ukrainian brigades and talented engineers from Ukraine and Europe. Over four days, 23 teams managed to turn complex combat challenges into prototypes, demonstrating the efficiency and effectiveness of joint work. This is a vivid example of practical defence innovation that Ukraine and Europe can develop together at a fast and coordinated pace," noted Uwe Michaelis, startup mentor at the European Defense Tech Hub.
A total of 23 teams took part in the hackathon: they selected challenges, worked on solutions, presented their results and took part in the awards ceremony. Based on the outcomes of the hackathon, the judges selected three winners and three more teams that received recognition from the military and the prospect of further cooperation.
- 1st place: UVAGA team with the ASPIS project – a short-range solution with an FPV radar designed for non-radio-frequency detection of small, high-speed FPV drones, which can be used on interceptors or stationary platforms.
- 2nd place: Genova team with the NEye project – an AI-powered OSINT intelligence platform that collects data from public sources, clusters events and provides real-time threat alerts, backing up risks with evidence for effective assessment and analysis.
- 3 місце: команда A1 із проєктом, спрямованим на створення системи повернення демобілізованих пілотів з інвалідністю до технічних ролей в оборонному секторі.
- 3rd place: A1 team with a project aimed at creating a system to help demobilised pilots with disabilities move into technical roles in the defence sector.
The main lesson is that new technologies do not live long. Some technologies last a few months, others just a few weeks. That is why we must ensure the fastest possible cycle for developing new technologies. The path to victory in this war is to stay ahead of our enemy. We need to create cutting-edge technologies, work continuously on improving them and constantly take future changes on the battlefield into account," stressed Yevhenii "Punch" Panchenko from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.
The event brought together more than 300 participants, including engineers, developers, representatives of funds and military experts.
The main partner of the hackathon was Nordic Air Defence. Event partners included Tytan Technologies, Farsight Vision, Alta Ares, NUNC Capital, D3 Fund, Bifrost Defence, Synteza AI, Defense Builder, Dignitas Fund, Drone Aid, Pilotix, Project Q, Lobby X, Calibrated and Fire Point.
