Nov 21 2025

NCIA participates in Warfighting Innovation Week

From 17 to 20 November 2025, Task Force Maven hosted the first Maven Smart Systems (MSS) Hackathon at NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. The event brought together NATO civilian and military personnel to develop rapidly deployable solutions using MSS builder tools and build immediate capabilities for the warfighter.

From 17 to 20 November, participants received MSS training on day one, then spent three focused days building deployable capabilities. Five joint teams were selected through a competitive review of 31 proposals submitted earlier this year.

NCIA participates in Warfighting Innovation Week

The final phase of the competition took place on 21 November at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, with a Hackathon final. A jury, composed of representatives from Allied Command Transformation (ACT), Allied Command Operations (ACO) and NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) General Manager, Ludwig Decamps, assessed each team demonstration. Evaluation criteria included operational relevance, feasibility for rapid prototyping, effective use of data and integration with MSS tools.

The winning team presented a counter-UAS solution that enhances detection, triage, and decision support for unmanned aerial systems - a challenge that is now part of the Alliance’s daily operational reality.

NCIA continued its strong partnership in this effort, from delivering the MSS capability delivery to ACO, in one of NATO’s fastest procurements (six months from requirement to acquisition) to driving the integration of emerging models into daily workflows. In parallel, the NCI Academy is building dedicated MSS modules into its curriculum to accelerate training and help operational users employ the system effectively.