The two winning teams of the first edition of EUDIS Defence Hackathon Digital in Defence -Eunify from Belgium, and Aquahub from Poland presented their innovative projects at the 3rd edition of the Deep Tech Summit in Warsaw –for innovators, investors, and tech enthusiasts. Held on 28 – 30 October 2024, the Summit brought together some of the brightest minds in deep tech to explore advancements across several sectors such as defence, sustainability, and space.
The summit spotlighted the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) Hackathon and mentoring programme, which has been supporting promising innovators in the defence sector. After months of developing their solutions through the mentoring programme, the top two EUDIS Hackathon 2024 teams presented their innovative ideas. These startups had benefited from expert mentorship, gaining valuable skills in team management, intellectual property protection, access to finance, knowledge of the European defence ecosystem, and pitching their solutions to end-users and industry stakeholders.
On 29 October, these talented teams took to the stage to showcase their projects to an audience of investors, defence industry leaders, and key stakeholders in innovation and technology advancement from the CEE region and beyond. Although it was not a competition with prizes, it was a chance for the teams to share their ideas and build connections to help bring their vision to life.
The session featured Kristine Rudzite Stejskala from DG DEFIS, who kicked off the gathering by emphasizing the crucial role of innovation in Europe’s defence ecosystem. Each team had 5 minutes to present their groundbreaking projects.
"Defence innovation is not just about technology; it's about securing the future of our societies. Events like this are key to bringing together the best minds and supporting them to create solutions that will strengthen Europe's defence capabilities and our mission at the European Commission is to tap into this civil innovative potential and ease and simplify their ways to enter the defence industrial ecosystem," Kristine stated during her opening remarks.
In addition to the main programme, several key events enhanced networking and collaboration opportunities for the teams at the Deep Tech Summit:
- On 28 October: Investor Day – Over 70 selected startups met directly with investors and co-investors through one-on-one sessions, designed to help startups build strategic partnerships and secure funding.
- On 29 October: CEE Business and Ecosystem Day – Multiple panel discussions with deep tech and dual-use experts took place, alongside an expo area featuring the most promising deep tech startups and projects from Central and Eastern Europe. The Innovators’ Gala showcased the Deep Tech CEE Rising Stars, with presentations of the best projects and the announcement of the winners of the Deep Tech CEE Challenge.
Throughout the events, attendees also had access to a matchmaking app, allowing them to arrange personalized meetings and ensure a dynamic and efficient networking experience.
The next edition of the EUDIS Defence Hackathon will take place in eight locations in EU Member States/Norway in Spring 2025. A call for local organisers will be issued early 2025. More information on the EUDIS hackathons can be found on the EUDIS website
For more information on the Deep Tech Summit, visit: https://deeptechsummit.eu
Details
- Publication date
- 30 October 2024