The FEDORA consortium came together in Budapest for its second General Assembly, marking an important milestone as the project enters its second year. Hosted by Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), the two-day meeting brought together partners from across Europe to review progress, demonstrate technical developments and plan the next phase of implementation.

With the project advancing steadily, the General Assembly provided an opportunity for researchers, technology providers, public authorities and pilot representatives to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaboration across work packages.

A key focus of the meeting was the progress achieved across FEDORA’s technical developments. Partners presented updates on the project’s cross-sectoral Data Space, integrated platform, governance framework and multimodal simulation environment, highlighting the work completed during the first year and outlining the roadmap towards the first pilot demonstrations.

One of the meeting’s highlights was the live demonstration of FEDORA’s evolving Data Space. Partners showcased the first successful cross-partner exchange of mobility data using Eclipse Dataspace Components (EDC), illustrating how data can be securely shared between organisations while maintaining data sovereignty. Demonstrations also included the project’s public data catalogue and AI-powered chatbot, designed to simplify the discovery and understanding of mobility datasets.

The General Assembly also provided an opportunity to review progress in the six pilot sites. Discussions focused on stakeholder engagement, Living Lab activities and the refinement of pilot use cases, ensuring that the technologies under development remain aligned with the operational needs of cities and transport authorities.

Interactive workshops encouraged partners to contribute directly to the project’s next steps. Governance sessions explored stakeholder mapping and the development of a multi-level governance framework, while technical workshops gathered feedback on the Data Space components and AI tools. A dedicated exploitation workshop helped partners identify pathways for maximising the long-term impact of FEDORA’s key innovations.

Communication, dissemination and collaboration were also high on the agenda. Partners reviewed upcoming scientific publications, conferences and stakeholder engagement activities, while discussing opportunities to strengthen cooperation with related European initiatives, including the CIVITAS community and the Horizon Results Booster programme.

Looking ahead, the consortium will focus on integrating the project’s technical components, delivering the next series of milestones and preparing the first round of pilot demonstrations. As FEDORA moves from design and development towards real-world validation, the General Assembly reaffirmed the consortium’s shared commitment to delivering innovative solutions for smarter, more sustainable multimodal traffic management across Europe.