On September 17-18, 2024, the 6G-NTN consortium gathered at the premises of the German Aerospace Research and Technology Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich (Germany) for the 4th 6G-NTN General Assembly. The 2-day face-to-to-face meeting brought together over 20 representatives from 15 partner institutions. Those who could not make it in person, attended the meeting remotely.
After a warm welcome by Christian Fuchs, Head of the “Optical Satellite Links” Department, and Alessandro Vanelli-Coralli, the 6G-NTN Project Coordinator, the consortium members were invited for a visit to some of the DLR facilities including the Planetary Exploration Robotics Lab at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and the Optical Ground Station and Laser Space Terminal Integration Lab at the Institute of Communications and Navigation. After the exciting visit to the labs, the first part of the GA, dedicated to presentations of technical work packages and updates on the status of the various tasks and activities was kicked-off by the Project Coordinator. All partners had a chance to present their work in progress and results achieved to date. The presentations were followed by brainstorming sessions that gave the consortium a chance to discuss open points and exchange experiences gained in the first half of the project.
On the second day of the meeting, sessions covering communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities as well as project coordination and management were held, followed by an interactive session dedicated to revisions of presentations prepared for the upcoming mid-term review meeting to be held on September 19, 2024.
The in-person GA has further strengthened the 6G-NTN Consortium’s collaborative spirit and commitment to continue the work aimed at full integration of the NTN component into the 6G infrastructure. The partners are now ready to present the work conducted in the first half of the project to the Project Officer and the Reviewers appointed by the European Commission. Stay tuned for further updates.
