The European Defence Agency (EDA) today launched the EDA Defence Innovation Prize rewarding companies and research entities who will propose innovative and ground-breaking technologies, products, processes or services applicable in the defence domain. The prizes are especially (but not exclusively) aimed at non-traditional defence industries (civil or dual-use producers) and researchers as they play a growing role in inventing and creating the disruptive capabilities that our armed forces will need tomorrow.





There will be two different EDA Defence Innovation Prizes of 10,000 euros each to be awarded for the most innovative ideas addressing the following topics:

Integration of multi-robot swarming concepts in support of future defence capabilities in the area of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC)

in the area of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Autonomous detection, identification and monitoring/sampling/analysis through sensor and platform networking in the area of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) protection technologies and techniques

The prize winners are expected to propose innovations which, if implemented between now and 2035, would help improve and enhance Europe’s defence capabilities in the two afore-mentioned domains.



A contest open to all types of industries and research entities

The rules of the contest and the criteria for participation are included in the rules of contest available here.

No specific defence background is required to participate in the contest which is open to innovators from ALL types of industries and research institutions in Europe: defence & civil/commercial producers, large companies & SMEs, defence-related & civil research communities. Applications from dual-use and civil/commercial innovators and researchers are even particularly encouraged.



Deadline for submissions: 16 April 2018

Information on how to apply can be found in the contest documentation under the link above. The deadline for the receipt of applications is 16 April 2018 (5pm Brussels time).

The prize winners will be notified by the EDA around the end of May.

An EDA Defence Innovation Prize award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Brussels in June.



More information: