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The DualTech Challenge

Have you got what it takes?

The DualTech Challenge is returning for its second year in person at IT²EC. This year, it will be held in collaboration with the 6G Test Centre located at the University of Oulu, a NATO DIANA test centres.  

They have identified two challenge areas that call for individuals and teams to showcase their solutions beyond the realms of the defence training sector to address real-world issues faced by today's end-users. 

Submissions for the DualTech Challenge have now closed and our Finalists have been announced below. 

Join last year's winner and host Tim Colebrooke as our finalists take the stage to present their solutions live from the DualTech Theatre at 1300 on March 26th 2025 and stayed tuned for the winner to be announced.

DT-Challenge

The Finalists

Markku Koivisto, Area Manager, North & East Europe - Varjo

XR-4 Secure Edition: Immersive Decision-Making and Enhanced Situational Awareness for Defense Operations

Enhanced Immersive Training & Decision-Making
The XR-4 Secure Edition enables defense personnel to conduct mission rehearsals and strategic assessments in ultra-realistic virtual environments, improving adaptability and rapid decision-making in high-stakes scenarios.

Unmatched Situational Awareness with High-Resolution XR
With the highest-resolution XR display available, the headset ensures precise interpretation of sensor data, intelligence, and battlefield conditions—critical for operational clarity in complex and evolving environments.

Secure, Defense-Ready Deployment for Multi-Domain Operations
Fully compatible with defense-grade simulation and intelligence systems, the XR-4 Secure Edition supports collaborative, synchronized training across locations while maintaining security and reliability for both military and dual-use applications.

Ben Shabat, Chief Executive Officer - DCA- Digital Combat Academy

From Chaos to Readiness: How DCA Transformed October 7th Lessons into Combat-Ready Training for Thousands

 - Immersive, Real-Time Training
DCA transforms combat training by turning real missions into interactive experiences, enhancing decision-making and tactical execution.

- Unpredictable, Human-Driven Scenarios
Role-playing elements introduce battlefield uncertainty, strengthening cognitive resilience and real-world situational awareness.

- AI-Driven, Scalable Learning
Training adapts to unit experience, with future VR and sensory tech making simulation nearly indistinguishable from reality.

Kyle Thomas, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder - SAIF Autonomy

SAIF Autonomy - NEXUS

- Real-Time Mission Assurance at the Edge
SAIF NEXUS enhances situational awareness by autonomously monitoring Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) in real-time, ensuring safe and effective mission execution even in communication-denied environments. It predicts and corrects operational risks before they become mission failures.

- Seamless Human-Machine Integration
By integrating directly with Blue sUAS platforms and common control systems like ATAK, SAIF NEXUS enables soldiers to supervise autonomous assets with confidence, ensuring secure data exchange and adaptability across dynamic operational scenarios.

- Modular, Scalable, and Mission-Focused
Unlike traditional ground station-dependent safety systems, SAIF NEXUS operates at the soldier or UAS level, making it highly adaptable for different mission contexts. Its open, modular design ensures compatibility with evolving defence ecosystems, accelerating innovation while maintaining trusted safety and operational control.

Challenge areas

Advanced situational awareness and decision-making in interference-prone environments.

Advanced situational awareness relies on the real-time collection, analysis, and integration of multi-source data (e.g., sensors, 5G/6G networks, and AI). This challenge seeks to deliver practical, scalable solutions that advance decision-making capabilities and situational awareness in interference-prone environments, utilising cutting-edge technologies and innovative visualisation tools to drive efficiency and effectiveness. 

This challenge focuses on: 

  • Detection and assessment of interference (e.g., jamming, spoofing). 

  • Immersive platforms supporting decision-making (e.g., virtual worlds and tele-immersion). 

  • The role of future autonomous systems and communication infrastructures in situational awareness. 

Objectives: 

  • Real-Time AI-Assisted Solutions: 

  • Develop solutions leveraging AI and big data for real-time situational awareness, focusing on minimum viable product (MVP) principles to enable rapid prototyping and deployment. 

  • Implement AI-assisted network management and optimisation in immersive environments to dynamically detect and counteract interference such as jamming and spoofing. 

  • XR-Assisted Situational Awareness: 

  • Explore how extended platforms, like the metaverse, can enhance decision-making in complex operations by visualising real-time data, such as: 

  • 6G network status (e.g., coverage, interference, cyber-attack detection). 

  • Network performance metrics (e.g., throughput, latency, resilience). 

  • Enable virtual execution of network management actions within immersive environments for enhanced responsiveness and situational control. 

  • Integration of Autonomous and Traditional Systems: 

  • Integrate autonomous systems with existing infrastructures to improve situational awareness, ensuring seamless data exchange across platforms. 

  • Enhance decision-making with immersive and interactive tools such as tele-immersive environments, enabling real-time evaluation of complex scenarios. 

Communication and data transfer in challenging environments 

Arctic conditions place unique demands on communication infrastructure, especially in military operations. This challenge seeks solutions for: 

  • Utilising 5G/6G technology and NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) in remote and harsh environments. 

  • Ensuring reliable data transfer in extreme weather and infrastructure-limited regions. 

  • Developing dual-use solutions benefiting both civilian and defense operations. 

Objectives: 

  • Technology Performance: 

  • How can 5G/6G networks and NTN enable real-time communication and data transfer in Arctic conditions (across air, land, ice, sea), particularly in regions above 60° latitude where satellite coverage is limited? 

  • What multimodal, distributed, and cross-domain transmission methods can be applied to enhance communication reliability in Arctic operations? 

  • Operational Reliability: 

  • How can solutions be designed to maintain a communication range exceeding 25 km with a minimum data rate of 5 Mbps, even in low visibility or extreme weather conditions? 

  • What approaches can ensure operation at temperatures as low as -55°C with minimal power consumption? 

  • Security and Interference Resistance: 

  • How can waveforms resistant to detection and interference be incorporated into Arctic communication systems to enhance security? 

  • What strategies can ensure data transmission integrity in environments prone to jamming and environmental signal degradation? 

  • Innovation for Dual-Use Applications: 

  • What new service concepts can be developed to leverage 5G/6G technology for both civilian and defence needs in Arctic regions? 

  • How can these solutions be durable, cost-effective, and scalable for widespread deployment? 

This challenge aims to push the boundaries of communication technology, enabling reliable, secure, and efficient data transfer across air, land, ice, and sea in some of the planet’s most unforgiving environments. 

Official collaborator - 6G Test Centre

The 6G Test Centre is an advanced global arctic test centre focused on dual-use 5G / 6G technologies for national security and resilience. It provides services for the evaluation and testing of future dual-use technologies and solutions for NATO's DIANA partners and defence industry actors.

  • Advanced Wireless Research & Testing Hub
  • Next-Gen Connectivity Labs
  • State-of-the-art facilities for testing beyond 5G
  • AI-Enhanced Open Edge Network 
  • Provide Artic & harsh field environment
  • Next-generation hybrid networks for resilience
  • strong collaboration with partners and industry nextworks

6G Test Centre empower NATO DIANA innovators and the defense industry with dual-use innovations and solutions that redefine national security and resilience. 

Accelerates business opportunities from the 6G Test Centre through dual-use markets.

Expands the ecosystem and market channels for broader company growth.

How the 6G Test Centre Can Leverage These Challenges 

  • By participating in the challenge, the 6G Test Centre can connect with SMEs and startups innovating in these domains, building valuable partnerships for future R&D projects. 
  • SMEs participating in the challenge may align with 6G Test Centre’s research priorities, fostering collaboration opportunities. 

  • Highlight the Centre's unique real-world testing, expert guidance and cutting-edge facilities, including its Arctic and extreme-condition capabilities. 
  • Demonstrate expertise in 5G & 6G Wireless communication, RF testing & validation, Hybrid network interoperability, ORAN/ AI-RAN, continuous computing and GNSS-independent positioning.

  • Utilize the challenge as a platform to identify dual-use technology areas where civilian and defense sectors intersect, leveraging the defense industry, NATO DIANA networks, and the capabilities of the Test Centre.
6G3
Testimonial

A great experience and a great opportunity for us as small businesses to be able to be in.

- Jamie Anderson, MAXRES 

 Testimonial

The Reward

Each finalist will receive: 

  • Speaking opportunity at the DualTech Theatre and opportunity to demonstrate physical products. 

  • Full Speaker registration (including access to the exhibition, main conference and catering) 

  • Prolonged exposure on the event website 

  • Profile in DualTech Challenge literature/website and DualTech agenda 

  • Associated promotion on social media channels 

The IT²EC community is invited to watch the Challenge live from the DualTech Theatre hosted by Tim Colebrooke, Chief Commercial Officer, Mission Decisions and winner of last year's challenge, and representatives from the 6G Test Centre.

The Grand Prize

The DualTech Challenge winner will receive commendation and a complimentary 9sqm for your stand at IT²EC 2026. 

DualTech Challenge

Entry and Judging Criteria

Submitted technologies can either be existing products not currently utilised in the Defence market or new innovative disruptive technologies addressing the challenge outlined. 

To enter, submit a short description of you solution (up to 500 words), discussing how to addresses your chosen challenge area. The title can be of the product or how this challenge is addressed. 

If selected as a finalist, you will be invited to present your solution on stage in the DualTech Theatre. 

All entrants must be eligible to attend IT²EC in person on the 26th of March 2025. Due to security restrictions at the exhibition, entrants must be 18 years or older and successfully pass security checks during event registration. 

Submissions will be judged by the 6G Test Centre team at the University of Oulu. All submissions will provided to the judging panel anonymously by the IT²EC to prevent bias. 

All participants must comply with the Official Rules and abide by decisions made by the Host and Judges.
 

Key dates and timelines:

 

 

 

 20th January 2025  Submissions Open
 24th February 2025      Submissions Close (23:59 GMT)
 3rd March 2025  Finalists Selected 
 26th March 2025   Live Presentations & Announcement of Winner


 

Testimonial

We got off the stage and we couldn’t thank the organisers because we couldn’t get through
the people that came out of the audience to engage with us, to take
business cards, to understand what we were doing, to get a demo for the rest of their teams.

- Tim Colebrooke, Mission Decisions 

 Testimonial

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