Some 35 people participated in the 4th FEDeRATED LivingLab Workshop in Gothenburg, generously hosted by Trafikverket. Two days of intensive and energetic discussions, not in the least to identify and how to effectively apply the specific technical specifications for federated sharing of data at source between various platforms.

The current state-of-the-art play was discussed relating the ongoing LivingLabs (LL). Specific attention was giving to:

• stakeholder engagement to data sharing practices within the various LL business cases
• the current LL technical settings that should enable data sharing, whereby special attention was giving to incorporation of one or more FEDeRATED technical specifications
• to test the above in an operational setting.

In addition to the ongoing LivingLabs, 4 common LivingLabs were identified enabling the FEDERATED project to showcase how interoperability between the partners can concretely be realized. It is very  important to show there is a window of opportunities for realizing seamless multimodal transport operations.

The future of future proof data sharing inlogistics has only just begun. End 2023, during its Final Event,  FEDeRATED will deliver both-feet-on-the-ground foundations for realizing a viable EU Mobility Data Space in logistics. There is a huge potential for upscaling.

Witin the framework of the FEDERATED project, two papers were written to contribute to the Transport Reseach Agenda (TRA) 2022 Conference in Lisbon 14-17 November 2022. 

On  14 November, Trafikverket of Sweden presented  its paper : a federative approach to digital transport ecosystem innovation . The paper stresses the importance to strengthen situation awereness and sustanability in the supply chain through LivingLabs than can be successfully executed through data sharing demonstration platforms, The paper was written in close collaboration with RISE.

During the TRA Conferenced the paper was presented by Annica Roos, FEDeRATED Activity 3 - LivingLabs leader) and Jan Bergstrad of Trafikverket. Trafikverker is running 9 FEDeRATED Living Labs, using the Deplide as its data sharing demonstration platform. Deplide is developed and hosted by RISE.

A second paper was written by researchers from TNO  participating as advisors to the FEDeRATED project and IT Architectuer Board. The paper, called Towards a Mobility Data Space ,  elaborates on  the need to apply the concept of linked data as a stepping stone towards data sharing practices leading up to a concise Mobility Data Space framework. The importance of the linked data approach for a successful the ongoing   implementation of the FTI Regulation is a major focus area for the years to come..

On 18 and 19 October 2022, the FEDeRATED partners met in Brussels to discuss various issues, i.e.:

The Milestone 10 report - major stepping stone towards a future proof Masterplan  for federated data sharing  in logistics - was agreed. The report

• Translates the FEDeRATED  Reference data Sharing Architecture into the functional requirements and the technical specifications which, in connection to the organisational requirements, constitute the basis of the upcoming FEDeRATED Masterplan: the FEDeRATED data sharing grid. (Part 1 of Milestone 10)

• Assesses the FEDeRATED LivingLabs (Part 2 of Milestone 10) against:
  • the FEDeRATED Interim Masterplan,  i.e. the FEDeRATED Leading principles and technical components;
  • the FEDeRATED Reference data Sharing Architecture (as translated in Part 1 of Milestone 10)

The partners also discussed the prospect of:

• Extending the FEDeRATED after 2023  - implementing the current data sharing business cases, developing  new business cases, inviting new partners, and constituting a knowledge base assisting the EU DTLF executing its upcoming mandate;
• Continuation of a focus towards interoperability (especially LivingLab collaboration - common LivingLabs); and 
• Actively promote the FEDeRATED results and insights. Concepts as data at source, harmonized semantic interoperability, and the connection of the implementation of the eFTI Regulation with federated data sharing and the FEDeRATED semantic model need  more attention.

The practical knowledge acquired by the FEDeRATED partners through their LivingLabs is important to be communicated to a wide audience. Especially, because an increasing number of organisations have started to embrace the idea of data sharing as a policy goal, while lacking structurally acquired knowledge and experience. FEDeRATED can play an important role in preventing many organisations to reinvent the wheel.   Preferably, data sharing solutions should  neither be based on the promotion of propriety data spaces solutions, nor  the idea that supply chain bottlenecks can be solved through developing new standards. In data sharing for logistics, a one size fits all perspective is not the road to take.

Photo: The 18 FEDeRATED partner representatives united around the pink FEDeRATED banner on 19 October (hereunder)

On 15 and 16 June, 14 FEDeRATED project partners and many LivingLab project leaders met in Málaga at the premises of ADIF, hosting the 12th Consortium Board meeting and a workshop. The major issues being:

• Speed up the current progress towards delivering factual output - tangible LivingLabs, a concise Reference Architecture and a shared vision on the content  of a (to be validated) FEDeRATED MasterPlan and data sharing prototype .
• Seek for interopability and collaboration between the LivingLabs
• Agree the basic (Reference) data sharing  Architecture
• Keep loading the mental engine of the participants also identifying the generic engines that can enable LivingLabs to effectively share data in a collaborative way

To streamline FEDeRATED partner engagement, an overarching Action Plan was developed to assist all partners executing their share of the FEDeRATED workflow management. This plan will be further detailed while executing. A template to measure the progress of the project in connection to the various topics identified in the Grant Agreement is also developed - Grant Agreement Audit List (federatedplatforms.eu).  

During the meeting, the IT Architecture Board agreed on a document covering the Reference Data Sharing Architecture (Basic Data Sharing Architecture Mitchell Out IT Architecture Group June 2022 (federatedplatforms.eu). An important challenge to the FEDeRATED project will be to describe the Reference (baseline) data sharing Architecture in “simple words”. Words that should not only provide sufficient meaning and context to IT Architects, but preferable also to a multitude of various stakeholders (logistic operators, public authorities – law enforcement/policy people – and stakeholder organisations). Therefore, the DTLF federative network of platforms policy approach might be explained as an EU data sharing grid for logistics and freight transport enabling Distributed Data Resources (DDR) - i.e. IT systems/platforms that provide or use data aimed at delivering services  - to connect. On a local or national scale this implies DDR's will be empowered to scale their activities onto an overarching – interoperable - EU grid. The EU grid enables millions of IT systems/platforms to draw data at some times and supply data at other aimed at providing tailor made services to all participants in the grid, including compliance with legislation. The FEDeRATED mission is to identify the required DDR competences  leading to full fletched, thus sustainable EU grid interoperability. Very complex to plan for, orchestrate and keep in balance. Innovative and transitional at the least. 

In 2022, high on the FEDeRATED agenda is the development of the FEDeRATED Milestone 10 report (due 31 October). This will serve as a follow up from the Interim MasterPlan - Milestone 2. The basis being the DTLF Building Blocks and FEDeRATED Core Operating Framework (elaborated in  37 Leading Principles). The follow up will be to identify and elaborate the functional requirements of a federated network of platform approach, being:

• Language (see more here)
• Service Register
• Security
• FEDeRATED/data sharing node

The LivingLabs will illustrate how the  functional requirements of the DDRs can be technical implementated through real life business use cases. A next step will be to define the organisational requirements for actual federated data sharing between DDR's. This should be done through interoperability protocols - a set of arrangements between the participants of the grid - regarding:

• Connectivity
• Security
• Presentation
• Linked Event Data
• Business processes 

During the FEDeRATED Málaga meeting, the partners and LivingLab managers showed their commitment to give it a try – both from a top-down as well as a bottom-up perspective - and assist the EC developing and establishing the minimum building conditions.