Students and start-ups in Germany can compete for €90,000 in prizes by developing drone technologies for real-world civil protection applications.

A new competition in Germany is inviting students and start-ups to develop innovative drone-based solutions for civil protection and emergency response. The Drone Challenge Brunswick, organised by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR – German Aerospace Centre), the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture) and the VolkswagenStiftung (Volkswagen Foundation), aims to identify technologies that could support civilian security operations ranging from situational awareness to hazardous object detection.

The challenge is open to students enrolled at German universities and start-ups with an interest in drone and security technologies. Teams may consist of up to five members and at least half of all participants must be studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a German university. Participation is free of charge and joint teams involving both students and start-ups are encouraged.

Competitors will develop solutions covering areas such as flight guidance systems, sensor technologies, information processing, communications, artificial intelligence (AI) and situational awareness tools. Their systems will be tested in a realistic operational scenario during the competition, which will take place at DLR’s 45-metre-wide Drone Cage in Braunschweig on 27-29 April 2027.

A total of €90,000 is available in prize funding, with €50,000 awarded to the winning team, €30,000 for second place and €10,000 for third place. The winning team will also receive a special experience at the DLR site in Braunschweig.

The competition will officially launch with a one-day symposium on 5 November 2026 at DLR Braunschweig. The event will introduce the challenge tasks, participation rules and evaluation criteria for the first time, and registration for the competition is expected to open once the rules are published. Participation in the symposium is recommended but not required.

The symposium will also provide networking opportunities for prospective participants, researchers, industry representatives and public safety organisations. Attendees will be able to hear expert presentations on drone technologies, U-space, air traffic management and civilian security applications, while individuals and incomplete teams can use the event to find collaborators and form interdisciplinary teams ahead of the 2027 competition.

Further information will be announced together with the publication of the competition rules on 5 November 2026.