🚨 From Poland to Brussels, from Aerial Defense to Naval Systems

Fostering Defense Innovation for European Sovereignty

AuthorAuthor

Janick Bayer & Benjamin Wolba
March 04, 2026

This February, we ran six hackathons globally — Australia, Stockholm, Munich around MSC, London, and now Tallinn and Athens in parallel 

But more important than the number of events, and the amount of time and effort we put in, is what comes out of it, and to see teams continue to build post-hackathon:

Axair Systems working on protecting the skies, Argus Robotics launching in Nigeria, Grey Raven Technologies working on reusable UAV training munition, Home Defence Network working on affordable, mass deployable mesh sensors, Phinorm developing superior drone detection algorithms, and many more …

That is exactly why we keep going: our first hackathon, specifically dedicated to counter-drone solutions, is next week in Rzeszów, and our first hackathon with a policy track is in Brussels one week later

And more events are underway this Q2 in the Netherlands, Stockholm, Kyiv, and our first-ever naval-base hackathon in Karlskrona, plus lots of online community events

🇵🇱 Rzeszów, Poland | March 6–8, 2026

This is again a first: a hackathon focused only on aerial-threat defense and counter-drone solutions. Co-organized with Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A. and Rzeszów City, and taking place under the patronage of the Minister of National Defence.

If you want to help create the next generation of systems to protect Europe’s skies, join us next week in Rzeszów, Poland.

Secure your spot here: https://luma.com/rzeszow-2026

🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium | March 13–15, 2026

Brussels will host a full week dedicated to defense innovation from March 9–15, and we are part of it, co-organizing our fors Brussels hackathon with Seven Capital, YPFP, Pilotix, Inflection, and DroneAid Collective.

Including, for the first time, a dedicated policy track that brings builders and policy professionals into the same room.

Other events include the Belgian Navy Hackathon (March 9–10), the European Defence Fund Info Days (March 10–11), and BEDEX — Brussels European Defence Exhibition & Conference (March 12–14)

🇳🇱 Netherlands | April 10-12, 2026

On 10–12 April 2026, EDTH will once again return to the Netherlands for a 48h hackathon, co-organized with Artillerie Inrichtingen Armaments, alongside Arctus Technologies, Inflection, DroneAid Collective, and Pilotix.

👀 Even More Events

📍 Stockholm, Sweden | April 24-26, 2026

After successfully teaming up for the BuildArena in Stockholm, we’ll be back in Stockholm with a hackathon of our own this April.

📍 Kyiv, Ukraine | May 1-3, 2026

Returning to where European security is decided, we’ll host hackers in Kyiv together with Snake Island Institute and the Kyiv Aviation Institute, alongside Inflection, D3, and Moodro as part of an entire Kyiv Defense Tech Week.

📍Karlskrona, Sweden | May 7-10, 2026

A first-of-its-kind event for EDTH: we’re partnering with the Marine Technology Center and Nordic Air Defence to run a hackathon on a Swedish naval base. Teams will demo systems to the Swedish Navy, test against leading Ukrainian USVs, and collaborate with defense-tech companies on full-scale naval defense.

Upcoming Online Events (as part of our EDTH Community)

Get free access to all EDTH Community events for one year, including hackathon demo days, webinars, networking sessions, and our flagship New Defense Summit.

Join our EDTH Community — https://eurodefense.tech/community

Democracy doesn’t run on autopilot

If you’re a student wanting to strengthen Europe’s security and support us with research, operations, or growth, join us for a hands-on internship

You’ll work closely with a small, fast-moving team and get real responsibility from day one:

Research & Deep Dives
Turn complex defense topics into clear, structured analyses — from emerging technologies and market shifts to ecosystem mapping and competitive landscapes.

Operations
Help keep things moving across community building, partnerships, and events.

GTM & Growth
Support positioning, outreach, pipeline building, and strategic initiatives. You’ll see how ideas move from concept to execution.

Details
▪️ Remote-first (with occasional in-person days, depending on location and events)
▪️ Mandatory curricular or voluntary internship (unpaid)
▪️ Flexible duration (aligned with your university requirements)
▪️ Part-time or full-time

To apply:
Send your CV, a short note on why you want to join EDTH, plus your availability to [email protected]

Counter-UAS CLASS II Tactical Challenge

The Dutch Ministry of Defence is launching a new challenge focused on a counter-drone system whose components have already been developed, but which we want to produce and further develop in the Netherlands or Europe.

Defense Tech Reports

This month, instead of the usual monthly update, Snake Island Institute has published two new reports that examine how Ukraine is both fighting and rebuilding amid a large-scale war.

One report tracks the growth of Ukraine’s defense-tech industry, while the other looks at how Ukraine has defended its airspace against ongoing missile and drone attacks over the past four years.

The first report shows how Ukraine’s private defense sector expanded from just a few volunteer-run workshops to about 1,500 companies by early 2026, with leading firms increasing their revenues more than 100 times.

The second report examines Ukraine’s air defense campaign, calling it the toughest real-world test of modern integrated air defense to date. It describes how Ukraine moved from old Soviet systems to a layered and flexible setup that combines Western surface-to-air missiles, interceptor drones, electronic warfare, and civilian sensor networks.