brigkAIR ANNOUNCEMENT: “Swarm Drone Challenge 2026” cleared for Takeoff!

Together with MBDA Deutschland, we are launching the Swarm Drone Challenge 2026 (SDC26), an international competition for students, professionals, and startups developing autonomous drone technologies.

For the third time, this unique event series will bring together innovators, inventors, experts, and drone enthusiasts from all over the world to connect and compete.

But in 2026, we are taking the challenge to the next level – technology-open and with a clear mission: smart swarms, robust communication, real impact!

WHAT IS THE SWARM DRONE CHALLENGE?

Participants develop solutions in which autonomous drones cooperate as a swarm and solve tasks. At the same time, SDC 2026 is not just a competition, but also a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights within the field of drones and air mobility.

CHALLENGE FORMAT:

In order to determine which team excels the most in terms of swarm communication, AI-powered collaboration and tactical decision-making, the challenge will place teams in a realistic, mission-oriented scenario:

In a „Capture the Flag” setup, two teams will be competing against each other with multiple drones as a swarm. This format allows for a variety of tactical and technical approaches.

THE PRIZE:

The winning team receives €50,000 – and gets a spot on the radar of the industry!

So if you are working on autonomous systems, advanced drone capabilities, or AI-based swarm logic, we encourage you to apply and take part in this unique competition.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications are now open and can be submitted directly via this form

To participate in the Swarm Drone Challenge, please apply alone or with a team of up to 5 people by November 30th, 2025.

STAGES & MILESTONES OF SDC26:

1 – Application
2 – Selection
3 – Work phase
4 – Qualifying event
5 – Finals event

For further information please visit the SDC26 website: swarmdronechallenge.digital

THE JURY:

The jury will consist of high-ranking representatives from business, science, politics and technology. (Names will be announced soon). All judges will be evaluating the performance and impact (e.g. strategy, communication, flexibility in the swarm) of every team individually.

THE MISSION:

The main objectives of SDC 2026 are to explore new approaches in autonomous drone swarms, connect with participating teams from all corners of the world, and foster collaboration on promising concepts beyond the competition.

„Innovation often emerges where new connections are created that simply did not exist before. Our Swarm Drone Challenge builds precisely on this and aims to confront innovative and talented teams with new challenges and to learn together with them.”
– Dr. Dirk Zimper, Director Future Systems at MBDA Deutschland

We could not agree more, and we hope to see you take off at SDC 2026!

Im Drones PR-Portal erscheinen Nachrichten und Meldungen von Unternehmen aus der Drone-Economy. Für die Inhalte der Pressemitteilungen sind die jeweiligen Unternehmen verantwortlich.