​Time to Accelerate European Defense Innovation 🚀

​​Join us and 120+ hackers from all across Europe and beyond for the European Defense Tech Hackathon on April 24-26, 2026, in Porto, Portugal.

​​Wanna come as a visitor? Join our EDTH Community here: https://community.eurodefense.tech/

​​Goal

​​​We want to bridge the gaps between technologists, the public sector, investors, and operators in dual-use and defense technology. This hackathon will demonstrate the talent and drive of the European ecosystem.

​​​Get inspired by the challenges we have prepared, or feel free to bring your own project. You'll get feedback from folks who have been on the frontline to ensure you're solving real problems.

​​Our goal with the hackathon is to put you in a position to continue towards deployment.

​The Roles

​Hackers work in cross-functional teams of 2–6 people to develop solutions around challenges presented by judges and sponsors. "Hacking" here means creating and building — not breaking into systems. Hackers come from all disciplines: engineers, developers, product managers, team leads, designers, ex military, and others with skills to contribute. You don't need to be a coder to participate.

​Mentors are experienced guides who help hackers succeed. Many are founders, former founders, or active members of the defense tech ecosystem. They ask critical questions, offer direction, and ensure teams are solving real problems. Mentors are available throughout the event to support your development process.

​Visitors include investors and ecosystem partners who come to observe, network, and discover emerging solutions. Visitors primarily attend the Demo Day on Sunday to see team pitches and award announcements, and they can network throughout the event.

​Media and Press have a dedicated application process to cover the hackathon and amplify the outcomes to broader audiences.

​​Visitors

​​​​If you’re curious about the outcomes and what the teams have built, you can join the Demo Day on Sunday as an EDTH Community visitor by selecting a Community Visitor ticket.

​Not yet part of the 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

​Sign up to become a member here: https://community.eurodefense.tech/

​​Agenda

​​Friday, April 24, 2026

​​Kick-off Day

​​12:00 - Doors open, Networking

​​13:00 - Welcome by Organizers

​​14:00 - Workshops, Team Formation, and Open-ended Networking

​​17:00 - Presentation of Mentors and Challenges

​​18:00 - Start of Hacking

​​Saturday, April 25, 2026

​​Hacking continues all day

​​Sunday, April 26, 2026​

​10:00 - Testing of Presentations

​​12:00 - End of Hacking

​​Demo Day (Open to Visitors)

​​13:00 - Pitches of the winning teams

​​15:00 - Award Ceremony

​​15:30 - After-party & Networking