NexTArc Kickoff Meeting in Stockholm
The NexTArc Horizon Europe project officially kicked off with a two-day meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 2–3, 2025. The event was hosted by the project coordinator, Dr. Baran Curuklu from Mälardalen University (MDU), and brought together the 38 partners from 10 countries to launch our joint work on trustworthy embedded AI architectures for smart cities, industry, and mobility.
The venue was 7A Posthuset, a historic building located right by Stockholm Central Station (7a.se/posthuset).
Day 1 – Project Overview and Work Packages
The first day opened with a welcome coffee and fika, followed by a project overview from the coordinator. Each partner introduced themselves before diving into technical discussions.
The agenda featured presentations of Work Packages (WPs) by their leaders:
- WP2 – Michal Kasparel (IMA)
- WP3 – Gianluigi Ferrari (UNIPR)
- WP4 – Stefan Eckardt (GD)
- WP5 – Willibald Krenn (SAL)
- WP6 – Pierre Kirişçi (REDI)
- WP7 – George Violettas (SYSGO)
WP2 and WP3 were presented in the morning, while WP4–WP7 followed after lunch (12:40–14:00).
Later in the afternoon, the agenda included:
- UC3 presentation by a delegate from the use case team
- WP9 presentation by Charlie Gullström (SWECO)
- Discussion session with reflections and open questions, conducted by Baran and Charlie
The day closed with a social dinner at Restaurang Hubertus (19:00) — a warm opportunity to connect, exchange experiences, and strengthen ties among partners.
Day 2 – Use Cases, WP1, and UC1 Workshop
The second day started with an informal morning fika and open discussions, followed by:
- WP1 presentation by the coordinator
- UC1 and UC2 presentations (by use case leads and demo leaders)
- WP8 presentation
- Technical platform session by Alper (ERARGE), Technical & Scientific Manager (TSM), who demonstrated GitHub integration and opened a discussion about collaboration tools
After an early lunch (12:00), the group enjoyed a 43-minute guided walk through Stockholm, led by Baran, who doubled as a local guide. Along the way, the consortium discovered some of the city’s landmarks before reaching Sweco HQ for the afternoon workshop.
At Sweco HQ, the UC1 workshop began with a guided tour around the block, followed by:
- Presentations on NexTArc and Scale Stockholm, Pilot City for Climate & Health
- A session by SweGreen, showcasing results from their work
The workshop wrapped up around 17:00, but discussions continued in smaller groups into the evening, setting the tone for future collaborations.
Credit: Photos by NexTArc.
Personal Notes
Beyond the official agenda, the kick-off was also a chance to experience Stockholm’s charm — from the historic streets around the central station to waterfront walks.
Looking Ahead
The NexTArc consortium left Stockholm with a strong sense of shared purpose and collaboration. Over the next three years, the partners will work together to deliver trustworthy, sustainable, and innovative AI and IoT solutions for urban life, industry, and mobility.
Stay tuned for more updates as the project progresses!