The Defense Forces have been training selected conscripts for demanding cyber defense tasks since 2015. Access to this group of “cyber conscripts” is extremely competitive.
In the winter of 2025, Crazy Town organized a week-long hackathon for cyber conscripts at the request of the city of Riihimäki’s DEFINE network.
Developing Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills as Part of Conscription Service
A hackathon is an effective method for situations that require rapid ideation and solution development in teams. Crazy Town has organized dozens of hackathons for startups, expert teams, and established companies – now also for the defense sector.
The goal of the Growth from Security hackathon was to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset and commercialization skills of the cyber conscripts. Additionally, the aim was to create dual-use technological solutions that are beneficial for both defense and civilian applications.
We facilitated the hackathon in Crazy Town’s facilities in Jyväskylä, right in the heart of the coworking community. Teams tackled challenges, conducted rapid experiments, gathered feedback, and received coaching. Mentors included experts from the Defense Forces, Crazy Town, and the DEFINE network. Entrepreneurs, technology developers, and defense industry specialists were also involved.
In the end, the teams of cyber conscripts pitched their ideas to military and civilian stakeholders at the DEFINE Innovation Hub in Riihimäki.
Agility in Defense Development
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that security solutions cannot be developed in closed silos or on multi-year cycles. New ways are needed to connect defense needs, startups, and other commercial activities.
DEFINE provides a platform for the defense sector where agile development methods from the civilian world meet the specific needs of the industry. The innovation ecosystem initiated by the city of Riihimäki builds an internationally competitive network for the defense sector. DEFINE offers events, hackathons, and an accelerator program for this purpose.
Defense Forces’ page on applying for training as a cyber conscript.
Crazy Town implements hackathons as turnkey solutions for companies, developers, and networks.
For more information: Mikko Korpela, +358 40 049 9242, mikko.korpela@crazytown.fi
