100,000 euros for a ground-breaking idea
Half-time for the HAL2025 ideas competition organised by the Agentur für Innovation in Cybersicherheit (Cyberagentur). The competition is looking for innovative solutions in the field of „Autonomous Intelligent Systems in the Swarm“. Ideas can be submitted until 31 August 2024. Project manager Dr Eva-Maria Heinke, head of the Autonomous Intelligent Systems department at the Cyberagentur answers questions about the content and participation in the nationwide competition.
Question: The ideas competition was launched on 3 June. What was the idea behind the project?
Answer: The concept of the HAL2025 competition is based on a new and broad-based approach for us: the ideas competition was designed as a comprehensively open process aimed at individuals, start-ups, research groups and companies. All interested parties are invited to submit their ideas on the topic of „Autonomous Intelligent Systems in the Swarm“.
The ideas competition focusses on the research field of „autonomous intelligent systems in a swarm“ and their cyber security relevance. Aim is to fund basic research into the swarm intelligence of autonomous systems, from drones to unmanned robotic systems, which is relevant and forward-looking for internal and external security.
Question: What do you have to do to win the 100,000 euros?
Aim: Our aim was to keep the barriers to entry as low as possible, as we believe that good ideas can arise in any environment and be hidden in any individual.
To win the prize money of 100,000 euros, it is important to submit the idea by 31 August 2024 via our ideas competition platform (https://idee.cyberagentur.de).
Question: What will happen to the ideas competition after 31 August?
Answer: All ideas submitted will be thoroughly evaluated by a jury consisting of representatives from all of the Cyberagentur’s research departments. The three best participants will each receive a contract worth 40,000 euros to further develop their ideas.
A grand jury, which includes Friederike Dahns, Lieutenant General Michael Vetter, Major General Jürgen Setzer, Claudia Plattner, Wilfried Karl and our Research Director Prof Dr Christian Hummert, will then select the best concept. First place will receive prize money of 100,000 euros, while second and third place together will be awarded 50,000 euros.
Our long-term aim is to invite tenders for a project with real applications in the area of national security once the ideas competition has been completed.
Taking part in the HAL2025 ideas competition therefore not only offers the chance to win the prize money, but also the opportunity to transfer your own visionary concept into the subsequent research project that could shape the future of autonomous swarm systems.
We look forward to receiving many exciting entries.
Further information about the landing page: https://idee.cyberagentur.de