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Innovators invited to take part in hybrid trials with Swedish navy
The four-day event will allow companies to test their maritime prototypes.
By
Tom
Barlow-Brown
Defence Journalist, DSEI Gateway
The Swedish Navy is holding a hackathon-demo event with primes and innovators to advance new maritime defence designs into operational capabilities.
Launched in collaboration with the European Defence Tech Hub (EDTH), the event will take place in Sweden at the Karlskrona Naval Base between 7–10 May 2026.
The hackathon will give teams the chance to test prototypes alongside the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish Navy, and as well as against mature technologies from Saab, Kraken, and Nordic Air Defence.
Participants can sign up as hackers or mentors, with visitors also invited to attend a demo day on the final day of the event.
EDTH, which is based in Germany, was founded in June 2024 as a single event aimed at bringing together engineers, founders and military stakeholders. The initiative has since evolved into a broader network focused on accelerating defence innovation across Europe.
Co‑founder Dr Benjamin Wolba told DSEI Gateway that the company is now working towards holding 40–50 events per year with the aim of building a “pan‑European, bottom‑up industry network for defence innovation.”
The company works closely with government institutions across Europe, including the Innovation Agency Lithuania, Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, and Swedish Ministry of Defence, to run the hackathons. It is also in active exchange with a range of agencies across the continent, including the Danish Drone Centre, Switzerland’s procurement organisation Arma Suisse, and the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub.
According to Wolba, EDTH is also “deeply embedded” with Ukrainian military units, which help shape problem statements and field-test solutions.
Hackathon alumni include UAV manufacturer AegisX and data intelligence company Aereus, which were both accepted into the NATO’s defence accelerator ‘DIANA’ cohort. The DIANA ecosystem connects dual-use companies with test centres and experienced mentors in the defence industry.
EDTH aims to contribute to a more coordinated EU‑level defence production effort. “The hackathons can act as the connective tissue to bring together all stakeholders who rarely sit in the same room as each other,” Wolba said.
EDTH will be running events throughout the year across Europe.
Tom
Barlow-Brown
Defence Journalist, DSEI Gateway
Tom Barlow-Brown is a Defence Journalist for DSEI Gateway. Previously he worked as a reporter in the maritime sector covering developments in energy and tech.