I had the opportunity to attend this spring’s edition of the EUDIS Hackathon. The event, funded by the European Defence Fund, took place simultaneously across eight countries and focused on a critical theme: defending airspace.
The team size requirement
My first remark is that the hackathon requires teams of minimum two people, which might actually be a downside. There are two caveats to this. First, people might get added to teams just to check this rule – or simply to exceed the minimum – without adding real value. Second, it discourages single top-talented individuals from registering. There are people out there who have the expertise and the motivation to build real things but don’t have an acquaintance who fits a team – and they still want to be part of this.
Differences across countries
Since the event took place in multiple countries, it highlighted the differences in approach, mindset, theme understanding, and – most importantly – actually building something during the hackathon days. The hackathon format and rules also leave room for background noise: teams building without substance. Those entries are a distraction and eat into the time and attention that projects with real potential deserve on stage.
A project worth watching
Speaking of projects that deserve the stage, I personally liked what the Palladion Systems team built. They have a solid approach and I saw that they’re heading next to the Nordic Space & Defence Summit 2026. It remains to be seen how projects from this edition will further develop from here and actually make it into use within the defence sector.
