EUDIS Hackathon Netherlands: Build Your Solution, Win Locally, Pitch Across Europe
- HACKATHONS
Martijn Seijger
- 0
- 10 minutes read
From 17–19 October 2025, the EUDIS Defence Hackathon lands at Unmanned Valley. Over one weekend, you’ll team up with innovators from across the Netherlands to create solutions for some of Europe’s toughest defence and aerospace challenges.
With a prize pool of €5,000, winning in Noordwijk means your team moves on to the European mentorship programme and gets the chance to pitch directly to EU Member State representatives. This is more than a competition — it’s an entry point into Europe’s defence innovation network.
Register now – deadline 10 October, 09:00 CEST
What’s the hackathon about?
The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is part of the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), an initiative supported by the European Defence Fund (€7.3 billion, 2021–2027). Its goal: open the defence sector to students, researchers, SMEs, start-ups, and non-traditional players.
Eight countries will host simultaneous hackathons: the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Each local winner receives mentoring and a chance to compete in the EU-level finals.
Three challenges to choose from
At the Dutch edition, you’ll pick one of three categories:
- Protection of Space Assets 🛰️
Detect, analyse, and counter threats to navigation, communication, and Earth observation satellites. - Space for Defence 📡
Apply Earth observation, navigation, and secure communication to support multi-domain military operations. - Sovereign Aerospace 🚀
Innovate in drones, autonomous systems, monitoring, countermeasures, and advanced manufacturing.
👉 Full challenge descriptions: eudis-hackathon.eu/challenges
Pre-hackathon webinars (Dutch edition)
To help participants prepare, each challenge will be introduced in a dedicated Dutch pre-hackathon webinar. These sessions are organised as a local initiative by Groundstation.Space with support from national partners.
Why join in the Netherlands?
- Unmanned Valley – A place built for testing and innovation. This year’s hackathon takes place at Unmanned Valley, a unique field lab for drone and sensor applications located at the former Valkenburg naval airbase. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with the NL Space Campus community and explore facilities supporting innovation and experimentation.
- Mentors and experts on site – Get guidance from the Ministry of Defence, TNO, NLR, NL Space Campus, SBIC Noordwijk, and InnovationQuarter.
- Prizes and support – Cash awards, plus technical and business guidance for the winning Dutch teams.
- Path to Europe – National winners enter a 40-hour EU mentorship programme and pitch on the European stage.
Who can participate?
- Open to citizens and residents of EU Member States, Norway, or Ukraine, aged 18+.
- Teams of 2–8 people (or join solo and form a team via the TAIKAI platform).
Timeline
- 17 September – 9 October – Pre-hackathon webinar
- 10 October – Registration closes (09:00 CEST)
- 17–19 October – Hackathon weekend, Noordwijk
- 28 October – Mentorship programme begins
Dutch edition organisers & supporters
Organised by Groundstation.Space, with support from:
- Netherlands Ministry of Defence
- NL Space Campus
- SBIC Noordwijk
- TNO
- NLR (Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre)
- InnovationQuarter
Build Locally, Compete Internationally
The EUDIS Defence Hackathon is designed to lower barriers into the defence sector and connect innovators to real opportunities. Whether you’re a student, entrepreneur, or experienced professional, if you can design solutions for space and defence, this is your moment.
Build Locally. Learn from the best. Pitch across Europe.
