On 6–7 May 2026, the OPERANT consortium gathered in Madrid for a face-to-face meeting combining technical coordination, in-depth discussions, and consortium exchange. The meeting was hosted by UTEK and brought together partners from all active work packages.
Building Momentum Through Collaboration
The consortium meeting started on 6 May with a joint dinner, offering partners the opportunity to reconnect in an informal setting, strengthen collaboration, and prepare for the intensive technical sessions ahead. The main technical consortium meeting took place on 7 May, focusing on the overall technical progress of the project and coordination across work packages. Representatives from all WPs presented the current status of their activities, upcoming milestones, and key challenges.
Key Technical Highlights
During the meeting, the consortium reviewed progress across all active work packages, including:
- WP1 (Project coordination and oversight): status of submitted deliverables, interaction with the Advisory Board, and planning of upcoming coordination activities.
- WP4 (System concepts and deployment): discussions on system architecture, deployment concepts, and options for the final demonstration, including regulatory and safety considerations.
- WP5 (Sensor and communication design): progress on sensor integration, communication system design, and software architecture, as well as alignment on requirements and test strategies.
- WP6 (Mechanical integration and landing concepts): updates on hardware design, landing gear concepts, simulations, and next steps toward prototyping and testing.
- WP7 (System testing and validation): kick-off activities, planned simulations and testing approaches, and preparation for integrated system evaluations.
A dedicated technical discussion session enabled cross-WP exchange on interfaces, data integration, power consumption, deployment lifecycles, and demonstration configurations. These discussions were essential to align technical decisions and ensure a coherent system design moving forward.
Looking Ahead
The meeting concluded with a clear set of action points, agreed next steps for upcoming deliverables, and scheduling of follow-up WP and consortium meetings. The strong engagement and open technical exchange once again demonstrated the value of in-person collaboration for a complex, multidisciplinary project like OPERANT. The consortium would like to thank UTEK for the excellent organization and hosting of the meeting, and all partners for their active contributions.
