EUDIS DEFENCE HACKATHON in Portugal

Join the EUDIS Defence Hackathon in Portugal — innovate for space, sovereignty & security. Build solutions, earn mentorship & cash prizes.

🚀 EUDIS Defence Hackathon Portugal 2025

Dates: October 17–19, 2025

Location: Técnico Innovation Center (TIC), Lisbon

Host: Productized

Institutional Sponsor: Instituto Superior Técnico

Local Sponsors: Critical Software, AED – Cluster Portugal, Saab, Engineers HUB

Partners: Ordem dos Engenheiros

🌍 About the EUDIS Defence Hackathon

The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is a unique European initiative, hosted simultaneously in eight countries across the EU and Norway:

🇳🇱 Netherlands | 🇪🇸 Spain | 🇩🇪 Germany | 🇮🇹 Italy | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 🇵🇱 Poland | 🇷🇴 Romania

This pan-European challenge unites innovators, developers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and students to tackle pressing defence and security challenges for Europe’s future.

Winners from each national hackathon will gain access to:

✅ 40 hours of expert mentorship over two months

✅ Pitching opportunities in front of EU Member State representatives

✅ A chance for the top 3 EU-wide winners to present at a major international high-tech event.

🏆 Local Prizes in Portugal

1️⃣ 1st Prize: €5,000

2️⃣ 2nd Prize: €2,500

3️⃣ 3rd Prize: €1,500

💡 Challenges (Categories)

Choose your mission:

1️⃣ Protection of Space Assets – Detect, analyse, and counter threats (jammers, anti-satellite weapons, cyberattacks).

2️⃣ Space for Defence – Innovate with Earth observation, navigation, and secure communication for military operations.

3️⃣ Sovereign Aerospace – Create next-gen solutions for UAVs, aerospace systems, drone management, and countermeasures.

👾 Who Can Join?

- Open to citizens and residents of the EU, Norway, and Ukraine.

- Participants must be 18+ years old.

- Teams must have at least 2 members (but you can join solo and build a team via matchmaking).

📅 Agenda Highlights

Friday, Oct 17 – Kick-off & Inspiration

✨ Opening ceremony, expert keynotes, lightning pitches, team formation, challenge deep dive, and official hacking start.

Saturday, Oct 18 – Hacking & Mentorship

👨‍💻 Hacking sessions, defence tech keynotes, mentorship rounds, workshops, pitch training, and a night hacking sprint.

Sunday, Oct 19 – Pitch & Celebrate

🎤 Final hacking sprint, pitch mentoring, live jury presentations, awards ceremony, and networking celebration.

🛠️ Good to Know

- Overnight stay possible at the venue (bring your own sleeping bag & essentials).

- All meals, snacks, and energy drinks are provided.

- Bring your laptop, chargers, and creative energy!

📌 Important Dates

- Registration closes: October 10

- Hackathon weekend: October 17–19

- Mentorship program begins: October 28

- EU-wide live pitching: November (date TBA)

⚡ How to Apply

👉 Register via the TAIKAI platform: click “Log in to Join” or “Join Hackathon” to create your profile.

👉 Complete your registration form and start team matchmaking.

👉 Get ready to hack, innovate, and defend!

TAIKAI will not be used for jury and mentoring.

🎯 Why Join?

This is more than a hackathon — it’s your chance to:

- Work on real defence challenges with European impact.

- Access top mentors and defence experts.

- Compete for cash prizes and EU recognition.

- Network with engineers, founders, and innovators shaping the future of security.

Register now and join the mission. Europe needs your ideas.