An intelligent air defence system capable of detecting and neutralising low-altitude threats, developed by the SkyHunter team, won the second edition of the EUDIS (European Defence Innovation Scheme) hackathon, marking the team's second victory in the competition.

The event organised by the Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA), dedicated to dual-use digital innovation - civilian and military - took place simultaneously last weekend in eight European countries, with 'Airspace Defence' as its main theme.

According to a press release from the organisers, Romania recorded the highest number of teams registered in the competition, namely 39.

The system developed by the winning team operates as an intelligent network of interconnected sensors and equipment, capable of detecting airborne objects through cameras and acoustic sensors, accurately estimating the target's trajectory and speed and automatically responding to neutralise threats. With the help of synchronised cameras, the system reconstructs airspace in 3D, enabling the identification and tracking of even very small or hard-to-detect drones.

'The EUDIS hackathon played a very important role in the development of our project. At the first edition, we were just three engineers with an idea and a lot of curiosity, and by the second edition we managed to build a team of nine people who believe in this project. Discussions with mentors, both from Romania and other European countries, helped us better understand what needs to be built and why this initiative is relevant. The prizes allowed us to develop the first MVP, and the people we met through EUDIS opened up collaboration opportunities for the development, testing and certification of our solution. For us, EUDIS was not just a hackathon but an important step forward,' said Adrian Rotaru, scientific researcher and member of the SkyHunter team.

The other prizes were awarded to the teams Palladion Systems (second place) and Solomonar Corp (third place).

The Palladion Systems team, ranked second, developed an affordable, modular and rapidly producible drone interceptor (C-UAS). The drone has a fully 3D-printed design with no manual assembly, allowing manufacturing directly near conflict zones using micro-factories that can be set up in just a few days. The solution includes advanced technologies such as AI-enabled cameras, sensor fusion and semi-autonomous flight for more efficient drone detection and interception. The team is international, with members from Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy and Norway.

Third place was awarded to Solomonar Corp, which proposed a modern airspace protection system based on high-speed interceptor drones capable of rapidly detecting, tracking and neutralising unauthorised drones.

Special mentions from the jury were awarded to the teams Hornet, which proposed a mobile anti-drone defence system capable of autonomously stopping drone swarms, X Fighter, which presented a multifunctional tactical drone and W.A.S.P, which developed a system for identifying hostile drones and neutralising them using interceptors.

In evaluating the projects, the judges considered the level of innovation, technical feasibility and implementation potential. They also appreciated the clarity of the presentations and the way in which the teams argued the impact of their proposed solutions.

As part of the EUDIS hackathon, with support from Techcelerator, the Vanguard Dual-Use round table took place, bringing together representatives of public institutions, the defence industry, academia and deep-tech startups to discuss the future of dual-use innovation in Romania and its integration into the European ecosystem. Alongside participants from the European Commission and DG DEFIS - the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, the local dialogue focused on how local startups can evolve into European suppliers of dual-use solutions through collaboration with institutions and industry. Concrete needs in areas such as cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and defence were also discussed, along with innovative solutions proposed by companies and research centres.

'Participants who register for the EUDIS hackathon are also invited to apply for NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator). The first connects you to the European Union, which has several funds allocated in this direction, while within NATO you can ultimately sell your product to the Alliance. Projects stemming from the European Union initiative and those of ROTSA are highly welcome, as some of them will end up being procured by European armies that are part of NATO. Therefore, these initiatives complement each other, offering dual support for innovators in dual-use technologies,' said Horia Razvan-Botis, Alternate Member of the Board of the NIF LPAC NATO Innovation Fund, mentor and jury member at the EUDIS hackathon.

In turn, Cristian Dascalu, President of the Romanian Tech Startups Association (ROTSA) and Managing Partner Accelerator, the organiser of the EUDIS hackathon in Romania, said that the results of this edition confirm that Romania has not only technical talent but also the capacity to generate solutions relevant to European security. 'The fact that we had the highest number of registrations at European level and projects such as SkyHunter, which wins the competition for the second time, shows the rapid maturation of the local dual-use innovation ecosystem. Through EUDIS and specialised local dual-use programmes, we aim to connect these teams to real opportunities for development, funding and integration into European defence supply chains,' Cristian Dascalu said.

The event was organised in partnership with Techcelerator, 'Elie Carafoli' National Institute for Aerospace Research and Development in Bucharest (INCAS) as host, the National Directorate for Cyber Security (DNSC) and Carfil Romanian military equipment manufacturer, a subsidiary of ROMARM. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)