Spanish defense company Indra Group has selected Diego Castro Freire of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid as the winner of its Electronic Warfare Open Challenge, a nationwide initiative designed to foster innovation in electronic warfare.
The pilot competition, which focused on modern sensing and detection solutions, attracted proposals from experts in electronics, computer science, and telecommunications.
Three finalists were chosen to present their projects at an event held at Indra’s headquarters.
In addition to Castro Freire, the finalists included Iván Díaz Jérica from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, who proposed a “Hybrid Platform for Detecting Stealth Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” and Juan José Rodríguez González, an Indra subject matter professional, who introduced the “MESH-EW SENTINEL,” a distributed electronic warfare sensor concept.
As the winner, Diego Castro Freire was awarded full funding for a Master’s in Electronic Warfare at the University of Cantabria, a leading institution in the field.
Maintaining ‘Commitment’
Indra said the challenge emphasized the need for innovative defense capabilities, stronger academic-industry collaboration, and the development of skilled professionals.
Building on this, the Madrid-based company framed electromagnetic systems, central to the competition, as essential in today’s security landscape and stressed the need for them to evolve with emerging technologies.
In addition to its expertise in these solutions, Indra’s group of companies is also involved in the development of a wide variety of multi-domain tactical capabilities to support European partners and other international militaries.
“This challenge reflects our commitment to innovation and talent. Electronic warfare is vital for technological superiority and security in increasingly complex scenarios,” said Manuel Escalante, chief technology officer at Indra Group.
