Challenge of the Cyberagentur and the German Navy
The Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) and the German Navy launched the MARLIN Challenge on May 11, 2026. The aim is to find new solutions for secure and disruption-resistant maritime communication. The challenge is aimed in particular at start-ups, SMEs, research institutions, universities and technology-oriented teams from EU and NATO countries. The application deadline is 02.07.2026.
The Cyberagentur’s second challenge is looking for innovative approaches for secure and interference-resistant communication. The aim is to identify and further develop new technical solutions for maritime operations and to test them under realistic conditions.
The challenge is aimed in particular at start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, universities and research institutes as well as technology-oriented project teams and specialist groups in EU and NATO countries. The focus is on expertise in maritime, intelligence or security communication, sensor technology, defense, cyber, radio and network technology.
MARLIN is designed as a multi-stage competition process. The preparation and tendering phase is followed by the submission and examination of short solution concepts, the elaboration of approaches and the development of prototypes. This is followed by technical validation, a demo week and the award decision. The challenge is thus geared towards concrete development steps and reliable results.
In the first phase of the competition, interested participants will submit their declarations of participation and brief concepts by email to angebote@cyberagentur.de by 02.07.2026. After a formal suitability test and technical evaluation, up to six teams will be admitted to the next phase. These teams will further develop detailed implementation plans and functional solutions. In the final phase, the demonstrators will be tested under real conditions in the Navy’s sandbox. On this basis, the jury will decide on the winners.
The MARLIN Challenge is intended to help make technological potential for maritime applications visible at an earlier stage and to promote application-oriented developments in a targeted manner. The maritime sector places high demands on robust, networked and resilient communication and technology systems. MARLIN addresses precisely this interface and combines operational requirements with an open, competitive innovation process.
With the launch of MARLIN, the Cyberagentur and the German Navy are expanding their cooperation with a format that brings together technological excellence, practical testing and competitive dynamics. The challenge creates a structured framework for harnessing new solutions from research, development and industry for a security-relevant maritime environment.