HCDI Spotlights a New Innovation Challenge, Strategic Partnerships, and its Very First Pitching Booth at the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair

The Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI) is participating in the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair (September 6–14, 2025), driving important actions, agreements, and discussions to strengthen the Greek defence innovation ecosystem.

During a special event organized within during the exhibit, HCDI announced the launch of the 2nd Innovation Challenge, issuing an open call to the Greek innovation ecosystem to compete in the development of novel solutions across two cutting-edge themes.
HCDI’s Innovation Challenges are innovation-first competitions in dual-use technologies. The intention is to incentivize the domestic ecosystem to enhance and further develop early-stage technologies (TRL 2–5) by leveraging to benefit HCDI’s financial and non-financial tools more immediately. At the same time, these challenges can help identify areas that require additional investment in order for the country to effectively respond to future defence, security, and civil protection needs.

With the 2nd Innovation Challenge, HCDI invites Greek economic and research entities to compete in two critical themes:

Directed Energy Weapons – HCDI is seeking advanced solutions for High-Energy Lasers (HELs), High-Power Microwaves (HPMs), and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) weapons. Solutions should leverage cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, improving target accuracy and resource efficiency in order to maximize the operational effectiveness of directed-energy systems. The goal is to shield the country against threats relevant both to defence and civil protection. This challenge aligns with Greece’s strategic priorities of strengthening national security, protecting critical infrastructure, and promoting innovation while leveraging the country’s unique geographic and technological environment.

Information Warfare Technologies – HCDI is seeking advanced solutions for Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), Fake News and Propaganda Detection, and Geolocation via Social Media. Proposed solutions must combine high-performance data management and analytics, resilience against adversarial manipulation, and adaptability to dynamic digital environments, supporting both civilian and military applications. This challenge aligns with Greece’s strategic priorities to counter hybrid threats and strengthen digital resilience, fostering technologies that ensure reliable information flows in contested environments.

For each winning proposal, HCDI will offer:

• Cash Awards: HCDI will grant a prize of €15,000.
• Opportunities for Cooperation: Winning proposals will be forwarded to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff for operational evaluation.
• Access to Infrastructure: Access to Armed Forces testing facilities (e.g., firing ranges) to conduct trials and evaluations within the submitted proposals.
• International Support: Winners will benefit from direct entry into business accelerators of EIT Digital & EIT Manufacturing and gain free networking and access to leading European and U.S. ecosystems.
• Showcase in Future Activities: Winners will have the opportunity to present their ideas in future workshops organized by HCDI.

Mr. Pantelis Tzortzakis, CEO of HCDI, stated:
“I know from personal experience how much dedication, effort, and passion is  required to turn a startup’s vision into a monetizable product. That is why I’m excited that we are once again activating a program of substantive innovation support. With the Innovation Challenges, we give the winners the chance to turn a dev marathon into a sprint—through financial support, business acceleration, and access to networks of influence. I’m wishing good luck to all participants. May innovation always prevail!”

In addition, HCDI may assess the potential to enter into a contract agreement via a negotiated procedure without prior publication, for the further development of the winning solution. The organization invites economic operators of all sizes (start-ups, scale-ups, spin-offs, etc.), as well as research institutions (universities, military academies, research institutes) to submit their proposals.

Strong Collaboration Ties for Innovation
During the 89th TIF, HCDI signed three important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), aiming to expand opportunities for Greek talent to access development tools and transform innovative ideas into competitive products.

Cooperation with Thess INTEC
On September 7, 2025, HCDI and Thess INTEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the participation of leading technology and defence industry experts in the Greek ecosystem. The cooperation includes, indicatively:

• Joint actions for the development of dual-use technologies and creation of synergies between companies and research labs in Northern Greece.
• Establishment of an information mechanism on opportunities for participation in national and European defence technology development programs.
• Utilization of CERTH’s research infrastructures and programs within Thess INTEC.

Mr. Nikos Efthimiadis, CEO and President of Thess INTEC said “We are very pleased for this strategic collaboration with HCDI, bringing many mutual benefits not only to the two organizations but, more importantly, fto the innovation ecosystem and the country’s defence industry. With HCDI becoming a strategic partner of ours, Thess INTEC will help bring the Northern Greek innovation ecosystem closer to the national and European defence and security priorities regarding the development of dual-use technologies. Let us not forget that many services and products we now take for granted in our daily lives originated from defence-related research—characteristic examples include microwaves, nylon, GPS, the internet, and mammography technologies. We embark on this collaboration with the hope of building broader and longer-term partnerships with HCDI, and I would like to warmly thank its CEO, Mr. P. Tzortzakis, for this cooperation.

Photo: Mr. Efthimiadis and Mr. Tzortzakis during the MoU signing at the 89th TIF

Cooperation with EIT Digital
HCDI and EIT Digital signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further develop, internationalize, and empower Greek startups, scale-ups, and SMEs. The cooperation focuses on:

• Supporting the establishment of a National Dual-Use Technology Accelerator in Greece, a flagship initiative bridging the gap between research, innovation, and commercial/defence exploitation.
• Soft-landing services, leveraging EIT Digital’s international networks (USA, Silicon Valley, etc.) for the global scaling of Greek companies.

Federico Menna, CEO, EIT Digital said “EIT Digital operates Europe’s largest deep tech innovation ecosystem and plays a vital role in connecting local and regional excellence with the broader European technology and innovation landscape. By linking Greece’s entrepreneurial talent to EIT Digital’s EU-wide network, we can accelerate growth, attract international investment, and ensure that local breakthroughs contribute to Europe’s digital leadership and technological sovereignty.”

He continued, “We are proud to announce our collaboration with HCDI and are confident that the National Dual-Use Technology Accelerator will be a cornerstone in securing Europe’s future. By fostering collaboration between industries, academia, and startups, Europe is well-positioned to become a global leader in secure, ethical, and innovative dual-use solutions—strengthening both our economies and our strategic autonomy.”

Cooperation with EIT Manufacturing South East
Furthermore, HCDI and EIT Manufacturing South East signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost innovation and support Greek and European startups and, whenever possible, industry players and SMEs, through joint actions and innovation projects. The cooperation indicatively includes:

• Acceleration Services: Provision of business accelerator services by EIT Manufacturing to startups and SMEs emerging from HCDI’s activities, aiming at Proof of Concept (PoC) development and facilitating commercial agreements with leading industrial stakeholders.
• Joint Events & Training: Co-organization of events and retraining/upskilling workshops for Greek companies, focusing on technical skills and adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in dual-use applications.
• Expert Pool: Creation of a joint pool of certified experts in the fields of defence and dual-use innovation.

Dr. Niki Drousi, General Manager, EIT Manufacturing South East said: “Our collaboration with HCDI reflects our strategic commitment to turn innovation into a competitive advantage for the Greek industry. Through coordinated actions, we’re aiming to empower Greek enterprises - supporting the development of new solutions and helping them break intonew international markets. This partnership, far more than a memorandum of understanding, serves as a springboard for the systematic utilization of innovative technological applications, with the goal of strengthening the nation’s productive capacity in dual-use technologies.

Photo: Dr. Drousi, General Manager, EIT Manufacturing South East, Mr.Orestis Tsaranidis, Representative of EIT Digital, and Mr. Pantelis Tzortzakis during the MoU signing at TIF

HCDI’s Pitching Booth
Throughout the TIF, HCDI operated the Pitching Booth, a specially designed meeting space where nearly 100 companies had the opportunity to present their capabilities and technologies directly to HCDI executives and experts.

For more information on the 2nd Innovation Challenge, visit: www.elkak.gr/innovation-challenge-2

For more information on HCDI’s activities, visit: www.elkak.gr

About HCDI
The Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI S.A.) is established as a Société Anonyme, with the Ministry of National Defence (67%) and the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (33%) as its shareholders. HCDI is charged with cultivating a robust domestic defence innovation ecosystem capable of fulfilling Greece’s national security needs. It focuses on soliciting R&D contracts for dual-use technologies that can enhance the country’s operational capabilities in defence and enable economic growth. It bridges startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, research centers, military academies, Universities and established commercial and defence industry companies with the Hellenic Armed Forces, Security Agencies, and Civil Protection, using financial and non-financial tools to drive more collaboration and to accelerate the transformation of innovative ideas into cutting-edge defense solutions. HCDI is supervised by the Minister of National Defence. For more information, visit www.elkak.gr