About 

The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) has launched an innovation challenge to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions in the field of electronic defense. Structured as a multi-stage, four-month program, the challenge combines two complementary tracks: a practical track focused on near-term, applicable solutions, and a moonshot track targeting bold, long-term breakthroughs. Participants benefit from funding, expert coaching, and tailored feedback while refining their concepts into deployable prototypes. The program culminates in an intensive final Practice Week, where teams demonstrate and test their solutions under realistic conditions before a jury of experts.

The Challenge  

The challenge focuses on developing novel solutions to detect, analyze, and counter hostile electronic countermeasures (EloKa) that target unmanned systems (UXS). With the rapid proliferation of UXS on the battlefield, adversaries increasingly rely on electronic warfare—jamming, spoofing, or electronic takeovers—that disrupt navigation, control, sensors, and communications. These threats, widely observed in the war in Ukraine, are becoming more accessible, decentralized, and damaging to operational effectiveness.

Today, most defenses remain reactive and limited, such as frequency hopping or switching transmitters, leaving a critical gap in scalable, proactive capabilities. What is urgently needed are disruptive approaches that can:

• Detect and classify interference at an early stage,
• Precisely localize and analyze hostile signals in real time, and
• Neutralize them effectively through protection, deception, or active electromagnetic effects.

The challenge therefore calls for a technological leap—moving from isolated countermeasures to integrated, tactically deployable solutions that secure the operational resilience of UXS even under active electronic attack.

Timeframe

Deadline for Submitting Proposals: 26/09/2025

The challenge unfolds over a four-month period and follows a structured, multi-stage format:

• Application Phase (Aug–Sept 2025): Teams submit a solution outline describing their problem understanding, innovative approach, and technical implementation vision.
• Pitch Days (Oct 2025): All applicants present their ideas to a jury of experts; the most promising teams are selected to advance.
• Work & Development Phase (Oct–Nov 2025): Selected teams further develop their solutions with funding, expert coaching, and tailored support.
• Practice Week & Final Presentation (Dec 2025): Teams refine, test, and demonstrate their solutions under realistic conditions. Final evaluations, live demos, and jury reviews determine the winning solutions.

How to apply:

For more information on how to apply, please visit this page.

The team or organization must be based in an EU or NATO member state. Excluded from participation are persons who are nationals of a state on the State lists within the meaning of Section 13 (1) No. 17 SÜG.

The SPIN4EIC consortium is not responsible for the challenges launched by private or public buyers. Each participating entity is solely responsible for its own challenge, including the selection process, communication with applicants, and all information provided to participants.