On 6–7 February 2025, the CoGNETs consortium gathered at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK) in Berlin for its 2nd Plenary Meeting. This two-day gathering brought together leading researchers, developers, and industry experts from across Europe to align on technical progress, refine objectives, and shape the road ahead for the project’s vision of enabling intelligent, self-organising IoT-to-Cloud systems through swarm intelligence.
The meeting served as both a progress check and a strategic workshop. Partners examined the evolving system architecture, debated design choices, and mapped the next steps for integrating autonomous decision-making, distributed AI, and resilient communication across diverse devices and networks. These discussions were not only about technology, but also about impact: how CoGNETs can help industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and smart infrastructure operate more efficiently, securely, and sustainably.
A dedicated session looked at how best to share results, engage with the scientific community, and prepare for long-term exploitation — ensuring that CoGNETs’ breakthroughs won’t just remain in the lab, but will find their way into market-ready applications.
Beyond the technical deep dives were the informal conversations over coffee and a lively social dinner in Berlin’s historic Kreuzberg district reinforced the collaborative spirit that drives the project forward.
