Seventh TEMA Consortium and General Assembly Meeting in Brussels
Katerina Beli, Communication Manager and Research Associate at The Lisbon Council
The TEMA Consortium convened for its seventh Plenary Meeting on 21-22 January 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. Hosted at the IPC-Résidence Palace by project partner The Lisbon Council, this pivotal two-day event brought together project partners to review progress, align on technical developments and chart the path forward for the Horizon Europe-funded initiative.
Day 1: Technical Advancements and Trial Preparations
The first day of the plenary commenced with a warm welcome from The Lisbon Council (LC). The session saw strong participation, with 16 partners attending in person and three remotely.
The discussions opened with Work Package 6 (WP6) on Integration and Validation, where ENG provided an overview of the hackathon progress. Key topics included hardware (H/W) and software (S/W) integration, trials specifications, and upcoming testing phases.
Simulation and Visualization (WP5) was also a major focus, with LAT40, ND and KAMK presenting advancements in geovisual analytics, augmented reality and digital twin applications. ND provided insights into the Digital Twin’s real-time capabilities, while KAMK discussed the Smartdesk GUI’s potential for enhanced visualization.
The day concluded with a User Experience Workshop, where partners explored ways to optimize first responders’ interactions with the TEMA platform. Parallel sessions between technical partners also allowed deeper discussions on integration issues.
Day 2: AI, Decision-Making, and Ethical Considerations
Day two opened with Work Package 3 (WP3) on Trustworthy Federated Analytics, highlighting developments in explainable AI, real-time semantic visual analysis, and federated cloud-edge analytics. A key milestone was the readiness of Explainable AI solutions for the upcoming Munich Hackathon.
Prediction and Decision-Making (WP4) saw DLR lead discussions on precise phenomenon prediction and response planning. A central theme was the optimization of drone flight plans to balance battery life with effective disaster tracking.
Project administration updates were covered in Work Package 1 (WP1), where AUTH emphasized the importance of timely financial reporting and deliverable submissions. A structured review process for upcoming M30 deliverables was also established, followed by the TEMA General Assembly vote.
The meeting also addressed Ethical and Regulatory Compliance (WP2), focusing on improving safety and privacy checklists for trials. The usability of these checklists for first responders was a key point of discussion.
LC presented updates on Work Package 7 (WP7) on Dissemination and Exploitation, including efforts to enhance the visibility of TEMA’s research outputs. A renewed push for journal publications and stakeholder engagement was emphasized.
With strong collaboration and technical momentum, the TEMA Consortium remains committed to enhancing crisis management through advanced AI and digital twin technologies. Stay tuned for more updates as the project progresses.