--- eventsindex_id: "EI-06999" slug: european-defense-tech-festival-berlin title: "European Defense Tech Hackathon Berlin" title_alt: ["EDTF Berlin", "EDTH Berlin", "European Defense Tech Festival", "Berlin Defense Tech Week"] canonical_url: "https://eventsindex.org/events/european-defense-tech-festival-berlin.html" next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: "2026-07-09" date_end: "2026-07-12" venue: "Marienpark Berlin (venue registered; address released on registration)" city: "Berlin" country: "Germany" organiser: "European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH)" organiser_url: "https://eurodefense.tech" b2b: true vector: sector: [defence] audience: [startup, investor, researcher, industry, policy] format: [hackathon, conference, matchmaking] purpose: [innovation, networking, investment, education] geography_scope: [pan-EMEA] season: summer meta_description: "European Defense Tech Hackathon Berlin, 9-12 Jul 2026. 200+ hackers, 4-day build sprint and Demo Day on defence challenges with NATO partners." editorial_take: "The European Defense Tech Hub's Berlin hackathon is the sharpest tool in European defence-innovation community-building: four days of hands-on building with real challenges sourced from Ukraine and NATO, not whiteboard speculation." generated_by: "claude-max-cowork" last_verified: "2026-06-10" variables_filled: 30/58 language: "en" schema_version: "v6.0" --- # European Defense Tech Hackathon Berlin > *A four-day defence and security hackathon held in Berlin from 9-12 July 2026 as part of Berlin Defense Tech Week, organised by the European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH). Bringing together 200 or more hackers from across Europe and beyond, it is structured around a hacking sprint from Thursday evening to Sunday noon, culminating in a public Demo Day open to EDTH Community members. Challenges are sourced from frontline partners in Ukraine, the EU, and NATO. The EDTH runs a rolling series of similar hackathons across European cities; the Berlin edition is the flagship summer event.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | **9-12 July 2026** | **Marienpark Berlin** | **European Defense Tech Hub** | **200+ hackers** | | 4 days (Thu-Sun) | Berlin, Germany | Community-driven innovation org | Demo Day open to EDTH members | --- ## Definition The European Defense Tech Hackathon Berlin is a four-day defence and security innovation event organised by the European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH), held at Marienpark Berlin from 9-12 July 2026. It forms part of Berlin Defense Tech Week 2026 and is the largest single hackathon in the EDTH event series. Participants build projects addressing real-world defence and security challenges sourced from frontline organisations in Ukraine, the EU, and across NATO. The event culminates in a public Demo Day on Sunday 12 July, open to EDTH Community visitors. The organiser describes the event's overarching mission as "Deterring Aggression Through Technological Superiority." ## Origin and background The European Defense Tech Hub was founded to foster defence innovation in Europe by connecting builders, investors, and policymakers. It operates as a community organisation with a paid membership model (EDTH Unlimited and EDTH Investor Network) and runs a rolling programme of hackathons, meetups, field-testing days, and networking events across European cities. Previous hackathon editions have been held in Tallinn (March 2026), Munich (coinciding with the Munich Security Conference, February 2026), and other European capitals. The Berlin edition is the flagship summer event and the largest in the series by projected attendance. The EDTH also runs a flagship conference-format event called the New Defense Summit; the hackathon series sits alongside this as the hands-on, builder-focused complement. EDTH is led by Benjamin Wolba and a small core team, with Maria Onufriievych and other partners co-hosting specific events. ## The 2026 Berlin edition: building in the capital The Berlin hackathon runs across four days structured as follows: - **Thursday 9 July:** Kick-off day. Doors open at noon. Opening programme from 13:00. Workshops, team formation, and networking from 14:00. Mentors and challenges presented at 17:00. Hacking begins at 18:00. - **Friday 10 July and Saturday 11 July:** Full hacking days. - **Sunday 12 July:** Testing and presentation preparation from 10:00. End of hacking and lunch from 12:00. Demo Day (open to community visitors) from 13:00. Pitches from teams at 13:00. Award ceremony at 15:00. After-party and networking from 15:30. The exact address within the Marienpark Berlin complex is released to registered participants only. ## Where this event sits in the defence calendar The Berlin hackathon in July sits between the spring wave of European defence events (UDT in April, DSEI in September) and the summer airshow season. It is positioned within Berlin Defense Tech Week, a city-wide initiative. As a hackathon rather than a trade show, it attracts a different participant profile: software engineers, hardware builders, data scientists, and product founders rather than procurement officials or exhibiting companies. It competes for talent with other European defence innovation events such as the NATO DIANA challenges, but its cadence (multiple cities across the year) and community model differentiate it from one-off government-run competitions. ## Who attends The Berlin hackathon targets three communities: - **Hackers:** software and hardware engineers, data scientists, product managers, and founders working on or interested in entering the defence and security technology space. A competitive application is required (the hacker ticket type is "apply now, requires approval"). The target is 200+ participants. - **Mentors:** experienced defence-sector practitioners, founders, and investors who provide guidance to teams. Mentor tickets are by invitation only, reserved for speakers, mentors, and partners. - **Community Visitors (Demo Day):** EDTH Community members who want to observe the outputs. Visitor access is limited to the Sunday Demo Day and requires an active EDTH Community membership. ## What the format includes The hackathon is a non-stop build event with a structured supporting programme: - **Challenge presentations:** real-world defence and security problems sourced from partners in Ukraine, the EU, and NATO are presented to all participants at the start of the event. Teams can also bring their own project ideas. - **Team formation:** participants without teams are matched with co-hackers during the kick-off afternoon networking session. - **Mentorship:** seasoned practitioners provide guidance during the hacking days. - **Demo Day:** on Sunday, all teams present their projects in a pitch format in front of judges and community visitors. Teams are evaluated and an award ceremony follows. - **Post-hackathon support:** the EDTH states that it helps winning teams take their projects closer to real-world deployment after the event, including access to funding and jobs. ## What the hackathon covers Challenge areas are refreshed for each edition and sourced from frontline partners. Based on EDTH's broader portfolio, topics typically include: - Autonomous systems: drones, UAS, counter-UAS, robotics - Cybersecurity and resilience - Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tools - Logistics and supply chain optimisation under operational conditions - Communications and secure networking for contested environments - AI and machine learning applied to defence decision-making - Dual-use technologies with civilian and military applications ## The 2026 Berlin edition in numbers *(organiser-declared)* | | | |---|---| | Duration | 4 days (9-12 July 2026) | | Projected hackers | 200+ | | Hackathon cities in EDTH 2026 series | 4+ (Tallinn, Munich, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, London) | | Demo Day | open to EDTH Community members | | Ticket types | Hacker (apply), Mentor (invitation), Community Visitor (members) | | Post-event support | deployment pathways, jobs, funding | --- ## FAQ - Identity and audience ### Do I need to be a professional in the defence sector to apply as a hacker? No. The EDTH explicitly targets people who are new to the defence sector as well as experienced practitioners. The stated goal includes "launching new careers and companies." Builders, engineers, and product people from non-defence backgrounds are encouraged to apply; the hackathon is designed as an entry point into European defence tech. ### What is the EDTH Community, and do I need membership to attend the Demo Day? The EDTH Community is a paid membership programme (EDTH Unlimited) that gives access to all community events for one year, including hackathon demo days, webinars, networking, and the New Defense Summit. The Demo Day on Sunday is open only to community members as visitors; sign up at community.eurodefense.tech. ### Are there prizes or funding opportunities for winning teams? The event includes an award ceremony. The organiser states that after the hackathon it helps teams take their projects toward real-world deployment, including connections to funding and job opportunities. Specific prize details for the 2026 Berlin edition had not been publicly listed at time of verification. --- ## The venue: Marienpark Berlin Marienpark Berlin is an urban business park and event venue located in the Tempelhof district of Berlin (southern Berlin). It is co-hosted by the Marienpark team and is used for creative, tech, and community events. The exact address within Marienpark is released to registered participants only; applicants are advised to register to obtain venue details. Berlin is served by Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), approximately 30 minutes by rail from the city centre. Public transport (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and bus) covers the Tempelhof area well. Accommodation is widely available across central and south Berlin. ## The organiser: European Defense Tech Hub The European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH) is a Berlin-based community organisation that describes itself as fostering defence innovation in Europe by connecting builders, investors, and policymakers. It operates a talent platform, a paid community (EDTH Unlimited and EDTH Investor Network), a newsletter (on Substack/Beehiiv), and a pan-European event series encompassing hackathons, meetups, field-testing days, and the New Defense Summit. The EDTH is organised by Benjamin Wolba (lead) with other co-organisers including Maria Onufriievych. Its mission statement is "Deterring Aggression Through Technological Superiority." The organisation is active on LinkedIn and X under the handle @Eurodefensetech. The EDTH also runs an investor network subscription product. --- ## Editorial take *The European Defense Tech Hub's Berlin hackathon is the sharpest tool in European defence-innovation community-building: four days of hands-on building with real challenges sourced from Ukraine and NATO, not whiteboard speculation.* --- ## How to register and what it costs Registration is managed on the EDTH's Luma calendar (luma.com/edth-2026-berlin). Three ticket types are available: - **Hacker:** application required; requires approval by the organiser. Free or low cost (not disclosed at time of verification). - **Mentor:** by invitation only; reserved for confirmed speakers, mentors, and partners. - **Community Visitor (Demo Day only):** requires active EDTH Community membership. Community membership is available at community.eurodefense.tech (EDTH Unlimited subscription, price not disclosed at time of verification). The organiser's Luma page is the primary registration channel. EDTH Community membership gives free access to all community events, including this Demo Day, for one year. ## FAQ - Access and practicalities ### What should hackers bring? Teams are expected to build functional prototypes during the hackathon. Participants should bring laptops, any hardware development equipment relevant to their planned project, and materials for a short pitch presentation. Wi-Fi and power are provided. Meals and refreshments during the event are typically provided; check with the organiser for the 2026 edition specifics. ### Can teams form at the event, or must I arrive with a team? Team formation is a structured part of the kick-off afternoon on Thursday. Participants without a team are matched with others during the workshop and networking sessions; solo applications are welcome. ### Is there accommodation near Marienpark? Berlin has extensive accommodation options. The Tempelhof area and surrounding neighbourhoods (Neukölln, Kreuzberg, Schöneberg) offer a range from budget hostels to mid-range hotels. Book early for a July weekend in Berlin as the city is busy with summer visitors. --- ## First time at the EDTH Berlin Hackathon? How to prepare - **Apply early for a hacker ticket.** Applications require approval; the organiser selects participants based on skills and project relevance to defence and security challenges. Submit an application that clearly describes your technical background and what you hope to build. Spots at 200+ participants fill quickly once applications open. - **Review EDTH's past challenge sets before arriving.** The challenges are published at kick-off on Thursday evening, but you can anticipate the domain areas (autonomous systems, cyber, ISR, logistics) from the EDTH's public materials and previous hackathon outputs. Arriving with a rough idea of your skills and a prototype concept saves the first evening. - **Prepare a two-minute team pitch for Demo Day.** The Sunday Demo Day is judged and open to community visitors. Teams that pitch clearly and demonstrate a working prototype (even minimal) are better positioned to attract post-event support from the EDTH network. Practice your deck. - **Use Thursday's team formation session fully.** If you are attending solo or with an incomplete team, Thursday afternoon is your primary opportunity to find co-builders. Bring a one-page brief on your skills and project idea to share quickly with potential collaborators. - **Join the EDTH Community newsletter before the event.** The EDTH Substack and newsletter carry pre-event briefings, challenge hints, and mentor profiles. Subscribing in advance means you arrive better informed about the people and problems in the room. --- ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website (EDTH) | https://eurodefense.tech/ | | Event registration (Luma) | https://luma.com/edth-2026-berlin | | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-defense-tech/ | | X | https://x.com/Eurodefensetech | | EDTH Community | https://community.eurodefense.tech/ | | EDTH full event calendar | https://lu.ma/eurodefensetech | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-10 **Next review:** 2026-07-15 **Notes:** Data sourced from eurodefense.tech and luma.com/edth-2026-berlin fetched 2026-06-10. Dates (9-12 July 2026) and venue (Marienpark Berlin) confirmed on Luma event page. Participant target (200+) is organiser-declared on the Luma listing. Exact venue address released to registered participants only. Ticket pricing (hacker, community visitor) not publicly listed at time of verification. "New Defense Summit" is referenced as a separate EDTH flagship event distinct from the hackathon series. The EI-06999 entry was filed under "European Defense Tech Festival (EDTF)" as per the task brief; the Luma listing and EDTH branding uses "European Defense Tech Hackathon" for this specific event. The slug and title reflect the task-provided data. **Variables:** 30/58 **Concept definition:** applicable