From 15–17 October 2026, the University of Latvia (UL) will host the EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia, an international defence innovation hackathon organised under the European Union Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), at the University's Academic Centre in Riga. The event will bring together start-ups, researchers, engineers and technology developers from across Europe.
This year's autumn hackathon will focus on the theme "Autonomy on the Battlefield", exploring autonomous systems and robotics solutions across the air, land, maritime and space domains. Participants will address three challenges: GNSS-Denied Navigation, developing autonomous systems capable of operating effectively without GNSS signals; Swarm Coordination, focusing on the coordination of next-generation autonomous systems; and Autonomous Border Shield: Detect, Classify and Prioritise Low-Altitude Threats, developing solutions for the detection, classification and prioritisation of low-altitude threats. These challenges have been designed to accelerate the development of practical, scalable and operationally deployable defence and dual-use technologies.
"Today's security challenges require not only advanced defence capabilities, but also the ability to rapidly develop and deploy new technologies. The Defence Innovation Hackathon offers researchers and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to work alongside defence experts in developing practical solutions that will strengthen the defence capabilities of Latvia and Europe," emphasises Latvian Minister of Defence Raivis Melnis.
Over two and a half days, participants will collaborate with defence experts, industry representatives and mentors to validate their solutions, refine their applications for real-world scenarios and prepare them for further development. Alongside intensive prototype development, participants will also take part in lectures and hands-on workshops. At the end of the hackathon, teams will pitch their solutions to an expert jury, competing for a €10,000 prize fund. In addition, the winning team will receive €5,000 in de minimis funding for the further development of their product or service, provided by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).
Director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Ieva Jāgere, notes: "The European defence industry is currently undergoing one of its most significant transformations in recent decades. Whereas technology development cycles were once planned over several years, the pace of innovation has now accelerated dramatically. Requirements evolve alongside the changing security environment, and solutions must be continuously refined. Competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability to test ideas quickly, receive expert feedback and adapt technologies to real operational needs. This is precisely the approach that hackathons provide. They cultivate the ability to operate in environments where decisions must be made rapidly and technologies continuously improved. At the same time, they foster collaboration between entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and defence experts, creating an ecosystem in which new teams, companies and dual-use technologies can emerge. These capabilities and this collaborative model are becoming fundamental to the competitiveness of Europe's defence technology sector."
Hackathon participants will have access to the UL OpenLab infrastructure for prototype development and refinement. In addition, the hackathon partners will provide specialised testing opportunities for developers of autonomous systems and defence technologies. In collaboration with GDA Baltic, participants will have access to support for testing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions, the use of FPV (first-person view) systems and tactical drones, as well as expert consultations on counter-UAS systems and electronic warfare solutions. Selected solutions will also be tested in dedicated testing environments in Kuldīga and Dole Island. LMT Defence will provide access to specialised testing environments where participants will be able to validate solutions in the fields of artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G/6G technologies, mobility, smart cities, drones and defence technologies.
"The University of Latvia is a place where scientific excellence, technological advancement and international collaboration generate solutions with real-world impact. Innovation requires close collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, industry and the public sector. EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia demonstrates that universities can serve not only as creators of knowledge but also as platforms where next-generation technologies emerge and new partnerships are formed," emphasises Enno Ence, Vice-Rector for Development of the University of Latvia.
Roberts Alhimionoks, Executive Director of the Latvian Start-up Association Startin.LV, highlights the hackathon as an important springboard for emerging defence technology companies: "The hackathon will give teams the opportunity to work on current defence challenges alongside experienced mentors. It is precisely this kind of environment that fosters the creation of new teams and technological solutions with the potential to grow into successful start-ups, strengthening Latvia's defence technology ecosystem."
The hackathon is open to teams of at least two participants that already have an MVP, prototype or validated concept and are looking to further develop their solution within the defence and dual-use technology sectors. All participants must be at least 18 years of age and citizens of an EU Member State, Norway or Ukraine.
The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at fostering innovation in the defence sector by bringing together Europe's most talented entrepreneurs, researchers, engineers and technology developers to address shared defence, cybersecurity and resilience challenges. The hackathon provides participants with the opportunity to collaborate with industry experts, work on real defence needs and develop innovative solutions that strengthen Europe's defence capabilities.
The hackathon is organised by the University of Latvia in cooperation with the Latvian Start-up Association Startin.LV, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, UniLab, GDA Baltic, GDA Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, LMT Defence, the Autonomous Systems Competence Centre, MilTech Latvia, and the University of Latvia Foundation.
More information about the hackathon, its challenges and the application process is available on the EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026 Latvia website.
Program is funded from the ERDF project “Development of Innovative Entrepreneurship of SMEs