Great response for the protection of unmanned systems
At the end of the first competition phase of the SPECTRA Challenge, the Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur), the Cyber Innovation Hub of the Bundeswehr (CIHBw) and the Innovation Lab System Soldat (InnoLabSysSdt) draw a positive balance: 46 qualified submissions, including universities, companies and individuals. Teams with participants from a total of 17 countries underline the international significance of the innovation program.
With 46 qualified entries from science, industry and the start-up scene, the first phase of the SPECTRA Challenge has clearly reached a good target. Concepts were submitted by individuals, research groups, spin-offs and established companies. The international composition of many teams is striking: In addition to Germany, experts from Europe, Central and North America are involved. This breadth shows that the protection of unmanned systems against electronic attacks has long been a globally recognized field of action.
In terms of content, the field is divided into 30 contributions in the practical track and 16 contributions in the visionary moonshot track. Both development tracks form the basis for quickly realizing ready-to-use prototypes and at the same time enabling long-term technological leaps.
The SPECTRA Challenge was launched to develop innovative solutions against electronic threats such as jamming, spoofing and signal hijacking. The recent disturbances in the airspace over the Baltic States and Scandinavia, where the number of reported GPS interferences has risen sharply, make the urgency of new protection mechanisms particularly clear. The aim of the challenge is to fund concepts and technologies that make unmanned systems more resilient and ensure their operational capability even in complex threat situations.
As the competition progresses, the most promising teams will present their ideas to a panel of experts at the Pitch Days on October 7 and 8 at the former airbase in Erding. This will result in invitations to the Practice Week from December 1 to 5, during which the selected concepts will be tested and evaluated under realistic conditions. This will not only test the quality of the technical approaches, but also their suitability for later transfer to research, troops or procurement.
The submissions were made via the KOINNOvationsplatz of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. With its range of challenges and a marketplace for innovations, the KOINNOvationsplatz offers public clients and companies alike the opportunity to enter into an exchange and learn from each other – without obligation, transparently and in compliance with the law.
Further information and registration:
https://challenge.cyberagentur.de
https://www.cyberinnovationhub.de
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/ausruestung-baainbw/organisation/wiweb