The 4th INDY All Partners event took place at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich in Germany, bringing together over 120 military, research, and industrial project partners and representatives of Ministries of Defence. The event, organised by Rheinmetall and TECES, and supported by the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, focused on ensuring the project's successful completion. As the final gathering of partners before the concluding event, this meeting was crucial for consolidating efforts and aligning strategies to achieve the project's objectives.
Key highlights
The three-day event provided a platform for showing significant progress and focusing on remaining project outcomes. The unique military setting and genuine hospitality fostered deeper collaboration, enabled constructive discussions, and provided participants with additional motivation in the final steps before the project's completion.
Day 1
The event began with a welcome from Yasmine Samarani, Rheinmetall Project Solutions, and Prof. Dr Christian Trapp, Director of the Munich Mobility Research Campus at UniBw Munich, who offered participants a glimpse into campus life. Following his introduction, the working package and task leaders provided updates on the project’s progress. The day concluded with a traditional Bavarian BBQ, offering informal networking opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere.
Day 2
The second day was opened with the welcome speech moderated by Prof. Dr Christian Trapp and welcome speeches given by:
▪ Col Matthias HENKELMANN, University of the Bundeswehr
▪ Col Robert ŠIPEC, Si MoD, INDY End-User Advisory Board Chair
▪ Deniz AKITÜRK, CEO, RHEINMETALL Project Solutions
▪ Ngandu MUPANGILAI, European Commission (EC), Project officer
▪ Matej GAJZER, TECES | SiEnE, director, INDY Project Coordinator
Valuable insights into the difference between the design and reality of a military camp
Col. and Afghanistan veteran Marc Lemmermann (RPS) and Captain Philipp Czasch (UNI BW) presented a series of case studies on military camps, offering valuable insights into the difference between the design and reality of a military camp. The presentation was a true eye-opener for all participants, offering valuable insights from the end-user perspective.
Col. Lemmermannn showcased different types of camps with examples from the Afghanistan operation, ranging from large camps housing up to 26,000 personnel to medium-sized camps with 500 soldiers and very small temporary camps with 40 soldiers used in tactical operations. Since Project INDY is researching the effects of new technology on various sizes of camps, this added significant value, making the discussion even more relevant and engaging.
On the other hand, Captain Czasch emphasised the key success factors for the future development of deployable military camps, particularly focusing on interoperability, full operational capability, resilience, and logistical efficiency. Additionally, meeting the end-user needs, as addressed in the INDY project, is a fundamental consideration in these developments.
The newly formed Technical Work Force provided an overview of the challenges and progress updates on the project. The session facilitated meaningful discussions with representatives from various Ministries of Defence, paving the way for a clearer path forward as the project nears its conclusion.
The programme continued with a parallel session between the General Assembly (GA) for INDY members and the end User Advisory Board (EAB) for representatives of MoDs to align their expectations and needs for the future.
Real-time demonstration of testing critical components
In the afternoon, the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBw M) team showcased the microgrid's ability to test components, subsystems, and overall system behaviour, along with smart operating strategies. The university has developed a 200 kW microgrid demonstrator for research and development, incorporating photovoltaic systems, a small wind turbine, Li-FePo and Li-MNC batteries, AEM electrolyzers, hydrogen compression and storage, a hydrogen combined heat and power plant with an internal combustion engine, fuel cell power generators, as well as electric vehicle chargers and a hydrogen refuelling station for buses and trucks. Such technologies are also being researched within the framework of Project INDY, adding further relevance and insight into their potential applications.
The live demonstration offered valuable insights into the energy flow, ramp-up times, efficiency, and controllability of the microgrid. Attendees had the opportunity to observe the real-time demonstration and explore the various components of the microgrid up close.
The day concluded with a gala dinner on campus, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere for the participants to continue their discussions.
Day 3
The final day was dedicated to workshops focused on specific work packages. Participants collaborated effectively to resolve open issues and finalize plans for the project’s final phase. In the closing session, the WP leaders mapped out actions for the remaining months, ensuring all partners are aligned for a successful project completion.
Conclusion
The collaborative atmosphere and constructive dialogue across all sessions helped consolidate the project's next steps, which are on track for completion by January 2025. Given that the priorities and focus of Ministries of Defence (MoDs) are constantly evolving and adapting, such events are particularly beneficial in ensuring that these changes are integrated into the project and its outcomes, guaranteeing the best possible result that is both useful and relevant for the MoDs.
