Palmas highlights defence innovation as Cyprus hosts first EUDIS hackathon

Nicosia, Cyprus. Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Thursday that technological innovation was becoming increasingly important to national security as he opened Cyprus’s first European Union EUDIS Defence Hackathon. The three-day gathering brings researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs together to devise responses to emerging defence and security challenges.

European collaboration on battlefield autonomy

Running from October 15 to 17 across eight European countries simultaneously, the hackathon falls under the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), which receives financing from the European Defence Fund.

Alongside Cyprus, the participating countries are Austria, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. This year’s theme is “Autonomy on the Battlefield”.

Teams will tackle navigation in the absence of satellite positioning, cooperation between autonomous robots and drones, and ways to safeguard critical infrastructure from hostile unmanned aircraft.

Technology and operational requirements

Palmas said rapid progress in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, robotics and unmanned platforms was changing the security landscape. These developments, he said, offered new possibilities while also presenting difficulties for countries and their armed forces worldwide.

He stressed that the tasks facing participants went beyond academic exercises, addressing practical technological and operational requirements in defence. Meeting those needs, he said, would demand expertise, creativity and an approach looking ahead.

Closer links between defence and research

The minister emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among universities, researchers, private industry and the armed forces.

He described technological innovation as an increasingly significant element of defence policy, saying the ministry regarded it as a strategic pillar supporting national security.