AGH University project recognised at EUDIS Defence Hackathon

A team from the AGH University of Krakow achieved notable success at the Polish edition of the EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2026. Their work earned them special recognition along with a prize of PLN 4,000, underscoring the team's level of expertise and the impact of their innovative project.

The solution is based on a multi-sensor approach that enables quick identification and precise localisation of airborne threats. Owing to the modular architecture, the system can be deployed in a scalable manner and easily adapted to protect critical infrastructure and other sensitive areas.

However, Jastrząb [EN: hawk] was not the only team to represent AGH University at the hackathon. Despite not winning any official awards, the other AGH University teams presented innovative ideas that stood out in terms of substantive value and application potential. The AGH University projects were characterised by interdisciplinarity, from counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) to advanced solutions for cognitive warfare.

Although the hackathon is competitive in nature, our teams decided to cooperate and support one another. Over the three labour-intensive days, they shared their expertise and experience to tackle complex technical issues together.

The dedication and passion of these young engineers show great potential for developing technologies that could make a difference and improve safety in the future.

EUDIS Defence Hackathon on European scale

This year, the EUDIS Defence Hackathon focused on the theme "Defending Airspace", highlighting urgent needs in airspace protection and drone defence. It took place simultaneously in eight European countries. The Polish edition, organised at the Krakow Technology Park, was the largest of all, as it gathered 118 participants presenting 32 innovative concepts.

The event was organised as part of FORT Kraków, a joint venture of the Krakow Technology Park and AGH University.

EUDIS Defence Hackathons are an initiative by the European Commission implemented under the European Defence Fund (EDF), aimed to support innovation in the defence sector and bring together talented teams from all over Europe to address key challenges in defence, cybersecurity and resilience.