Software tool "Yarded" wins the NATO Innovation Challenge 2023

• The Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub, MVP Factory, and VisiTrans take first place in the NATO Innovation Challenge 2023
• In the event of an enemy attack, Yarded can efficiently manage 500 vehicles and 2500 tons of materials per day
  
• Future scaling of the software to the NATO level is planned

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Berlin/Ljubljana, 15 November 2023 - Together with the Cyber Innovation Hub of the Bundeswehr (CIHBw), MVP Factory, and VisiTrans took part in the NATO Innovation Challenge “Military Mobility” 2023 and achieved first place with their pioneering project "Yarded". Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte took second and third place. 

Yarded is reforming the Bundeswehr's logistics and was selected from more than forty submissions to the challenge. The software is developed to significantly increase the operational efficiency of logistics battalions, particularly in managing the vehicles.

MVP Factory, CIHBw, and VisiTrans created Yarded jointly with the soldiers using agile methods at a start-up speed. "This high speed was only possible because we relied on a dual-use product available on the market for Yarded - in other words, we adapted an existing civilian solution for our military use. Our CIHBw innovation project Yarded is a real turning point as its success demonstrates the pace of innovation that the Bundeswehr is capable of today," says Sven Weizenegger, Head of the CIHBw. 

The Yarded team successfully presented the potential of digital solutions in military logistics processes to the jury in Slovenia on the 14th of November, and talks will begin in the coming weeks to discuss scaling up to the NATO level. 

Yarded - an efficient logistics tool for emergencies 

The logistics battalions in Germany struggle with inefficient analog command and control systems in addition to a lack of personnel. In particular, the system used by Logistic Batallion (LogBtl) 163 RSOM (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement) to organize the marshaling area - a large area in which objects are stored in ports and railway stations before being shipped to another destination - proved to be outdated and inflexible. In the past, soldiers simply worked with pen and paper and printed Excel spreadsheets to coordinate the planning of missions. Furthermore, the NATO LOGFAS system does not offer automated and transparent solutions at some critical points. 
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MVP Factory has already worked closely with the Cyber Innovation Hub in the past on a portfolio of projects to foster digitalization in the Bundeswehr. These include an e-token app, AI workshops, and more. 

Philipp Petrescu, CEO of MVP Factory, emphasizes: "Together with the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub and VisiTrans, we have created an efficient, digital solution. The recognition by NATO is a strong appreciation of our work along with the promotion of innovation in all areas of the economy and  the growing adoption of digitalization in government and administration."

The Yarded software automates processes, eliminates manual tasks, and enables a seamless digital overview, for managing vehicle and material deployment and dispatch. The technical part of the solution was developed by our partners, VisiTrans GmbH from Paderborn, which specializes in solving complex logistical problems. 

The software is designed to work with NATO's core logistics processes to support the transport of equipment and material by the NRF (NATO Response Force) in the event of a sudden deployment, for example, due to an enemy attack. In such circumstances, Yarded can effectively manage 500 vehicles and 2500 tons of materials daily.

The software also incorporates LOGFAS data for data-driven decision-making. LOGFAS is the information backbone of NATO as NATO material has to be moved every day. Yarded enables real-time coordination and the digital distribution of information on any device and provides the commander with real-time data, allowing for decisions to be made based on data at a higher speed.

The NATO Innovation Challenge was initiated in 2017 by the NATO Innovation Hub of Allied Command Transformation and serves as a conceptual platform to address Alliance-wide challenges and set priorities across partners. It promotes innovative projects that contribute to efficiency and security.

About Cyber Innovation Hub 

The Cyber Innovation Hub of the Bundeswehr (CIHBw) was founded in March 2017 to support the digital transformation of the Bundeswehr as a "fast speedboat" and to act as an interface between the Bundeswehr and the startup ecosystem. The "Empowering Innovation in Defence" vision is geared towards the needs of soldiers and civilian employees in the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg). With the implementation of a total of over 160 innovation projects, the CIHBw sees itself as a "do tank" and agile innovation driver for the armed forces. It is the first military digital innovation unit in Europe and a role model for comparable units in other German federal ministries and authorities.