First Pan-European “Digital in Defence” Hackathon Held at Demokritos

From May 31 to June 2, 2024, the National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” hosted the inaugural pan-European hackathon, themed “Digital in Defence. This ground-breaking event, funded by the European Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), took place simultaneously in five other European countries. Its primary goal was to acquaint participants with the European defence sector and foster innovative ideas to address current defence challenges.
The EUDIS HACKATHON GREECE EDITION was proudly supported by Motor Oil Group and Scytalys (Bronze Sponsors), and Intracom Defence and Lockheed Martin (Main Sponsors).

Opening Ceremony

The three-day event kicked off with an opening ceremony dedicated to the local ecosystem, attended by representatives from General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments, Hellenic Development Bank, 5G Phaistos Investment Fund and European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Industry leaders from Intracom Defense, Scytalys, Lockheed Martin, IBM, THALES, Motor Oil, Seeders, and QNTech also participated in the event.

Hackathon Highlights

During the hackathon, 14 teams developed concepts and solutions focusing on subsea infrastructure protection, improving situational awareness, and cybersecurity in defence. Experienced mentors guided the teams, offering scientific and business advice, along with insights from defense industry experts.

Local and EU Finals

The event culminated with the final presentations, were the teams showcased their solutions to a jury of experts from research, business, and defense sectors. The top three teams were SUPERLABS, GUARDIAN and SOTIRIA TECHNOLOGY.

These teams received cash prizes, with the first team also receiving a commemorative award from the General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments.

The winning team, SUPERLABS, competed in the European finals and ranked among the top three teams. As a result, they will gain access to a four-month mentoring program (August-November 2024) focusing on commercialization and defense.