The rail freight sector is facing a multitude of challenges such as lack of network capacity and productivity. Manual processes still entail worker’s safety risks. Rail must adopt the emerging digital technologies to meet the customer needs. FP5-TRANS4M-R brings together 71 partners from end-users, large industry, railway undertakings – operators and wagon keepers, SMEs, academia and research, delivering on the rail freight sector’s commitment to increase of the modal split share to 50% by 2030 revoking the causality between economic growth in Europe and pollution as well as congestions, positively impacting Europe’s citizens quality of life. FP5-TRANS4M-R’s overall goal is to establish rail freight as backbone of the lowest emission and most resilient logistics chain in Europe fulfilling the end customer requirements to their full satisfaction. Two technology clusters “Full Digital Freight Train Operation (FDFTO)” and “Seamless Freight Operation” will develop, validate and demonstrate the FP5-TRANS4M-R technologies following an integrated systemic approach across the sector, in a competitive manner - as only then the expected automation benefits can be fully realised. Integrating DAC-enabled solutions at non- arguable interoperability with software defined systems and digital rail services will lead to increased capacity, higher throughput and shorter transportation duration. It will strengthen the cross-border coordination and cooperation between rail infrastructure managers and finally deliver optimised overall management of the rail network. FP5-TRANS4M-R's credo is: seamless, integrated, interoperable, validated and EU-wide authorised solutions, to achieve a single EU rail freight technology framework with strictly managed interfaces for an effective system integration and seamless operation across countries, actors and modes. These objectives set the foundation, frame, and ambition for the project with an impact on the overall transport and logistics sector in EU.

The funding received within the framework of the project was used to finance stays abroad for a total of 444 individuals in vocational training and 73 vocational training specialists.286 apprentices completed a 2 to 24 week internship specifically suited to their profession, individual level of training, knowledge and skills at a company active in their professional field. IFA organized internships in small groups during spring, summer and fall of 2018. Participation was open for apprentices from every profession and industry from all over Austria. The applicants were selected based on their technical, linguistic and personal skills. IFA organized the travel, stay abroad, internship, accommodation and insurance for the participants as well as accompanying language courses. IFA prepared the apprentices and companies organizationally, culturally and linguistically for the stays and ensured that the internships were recognized as part of the apprenticeship training in accordance with the Vocational Training Act (BAG).Given that a majority of the apprentices were minors, the apprentice groups were accompanied by an IFA-counsellor during the first week abroad. The counsellors helped the apprentices get settled in the host country and visited all the participating companies to ensure that the content and processes fulfilled the objectives. Contact persons at the receiving institution and IFA were available to support the participants throughout their entire stay abroad.158 students from vocational schools and colleges also completed an internship relevant to their professional field that was suitable for their training and level of knowledge. The internships were organized in close cooperation with the sending schools in order to ensure they were recognized as part of the compulsory internship. Most student internships took place in the summer of 2018. The duration of the internship ranged between 2 weeks and 9 months. The content of the internships were defined in terms of the occupational and training profiles and curricula as well as the individual skills of the participants and were specified before the internship in a learning agreement between IFA, the participants and the sending and receiving institutions together with the learning objectives that were to be achieved during the internship.Furthermore, within the framework of the project, 73 training officers from companies and vocational schools as well as vocational training experts participated in 1 week-long workshop to exchange their experiences in order to learn about VET systems in other countries, compare them with the Austrian system and exchange ideas amongst each other and with colleagues from abroad. The goal was to promote the quality, innovation and the European idea in vocational education and training through cross-border exchanges. The participants were multipliers and could share their experiences in companies, schools and throughout Austria and thus contribute to a Europeanisation of the Austrian VET system.While abroad, the participants acquired technical, linguistic, social, intercultural and personal skills and expanded their personal and professional horizons. An internship abroad contributes to the strengthening of important key skills such as teamwork, personal responsibility, flexibility and much more. Experiences abroad promote career opportunities and ensure the future career of the participants and thus the competitiveness of Austrian companies. International exchange increases the overall quality of the Austrian VET.IFA is a non-profit association that has been organizing internships abroad since 1995 for apprentices, professionals and training officers. Since 1995, IFA has helped more than 7.500 people take part in an EU-funded stay abroad. As the applicant and co-ordinating institution, IFA was therefore responsible for ensuring the quality and proper organization of the project.IFA works with a network of experienced partners in the target countries with whom partnership agreements (Memoranda of Understanding) defining the conditions and quality criteria already exist. IFA has been successfully working together with most of the partner institutions for many years. Throughout the entire stay abroad, there was always someone from the receiving institution, the host company or IFA at the participants’ side to supervise their progress and ensure the quality of the internship. After completing the internship, all the participants received a “Personal Transcript” outlining the activities completed and knowledge and skills acquired with confirmation from the receiving institution and host company.All internships were recognized as part of the vocational training in Austria.

The funding received within the framework of the project was used to finance stays abroad for a total of 417 individuals in vocational training and 69 vocational training specialists. 316 apprentices completed a 2 to 52 week internship specifically suited to their profession, individual level of training, knowledge and skills in a company abroad active in their professional field. 17 apprentices and students absolved a long-term mobility of duration of more than three months as part of the ErasmusPro initiative.IFA organized internships in small groups between September 2018 and August 2019. Participation was open for apprentices from all professions and industries from all over Austria. The applicants were selected based on their technical, linguistic and personal skills. IFA organized the travel, internship, accommodation and insurance for the participants as well as accompanying language courses. IFA also prepared the apprentices and companies with respect to organisational, cultural and linguistic aspects for the stays and ensured that the internships were recognized as part of the apprenticeship training in accordance with the Vocational Training Act (BAG). Given that a many of the apprentices were minors, the apprentice groups were accompanied by an IFA tutor during the first week abroad. The tutors helped the apprentices to get settled in the host country and visited all the participating companies to ensure that the content and processes fulfilled the objectives. Contact persons at thereceiving institution and IFA were available to support the participants throughout their entire stay abroad.101 students from full-time vocational schools and colleges also completed an internship relevant to their professional field that was suitable for their training and level of knowledge. The internships were organized in close cooperation with the sending schools in order to ensure they were recognized as part of the compulsory internship. Most student internships took place in the summer of 2019. The duration of the internship ranged between 2 weeks and 5 months. The content of the internships were defined in terms of the occupational and training profiles and curricula as well as the individual skills of the participants and were specified before the internship in a learning agreement between IFA, the participants and the sending and receiving institutions together with the learning objectives that were to be achieved during theinternship.Within the framework of this project 69 experts in the field of VET staff from companies and vocational schools as well as vocational training experts participated in mobilities to exchange their experiences in order to learn about VET systems in other countries, compare them with the Austrian system and exchange ideas amongst each other and with colleagues from abroad. The goal was to promote the quality, innovation and the European idea in vocational education and training through cross-border exchanges. The participants were multipliers and could share their experiences in companies, part-time and full-time vocational schools and throughout Austria and thus contribute to a Europeanisation of the Austrian VET system.During their mobilities participants acquired technical, linguistic, social, intercultural and personal skills and expanded theirpersonal and professional horizons. Work placements abroad contribute to the strengthening of important key skills such as teamwork ability, personal responsibility, flexibility and much more. Experiences abroad promote career opportunities and ensure the future career of the participants and thus the competitiveness of Austrian companies. International exchange increases the overall quality of the Austrian VET.IFA is a non-profit association that has been organizing internships abroad since 1995 for apprentices, professionals and training officers. Since 1995, IFA has helped more than 9.500 people take part in an EU-funded stay abroad. As the applicant and co-ordinating institution, IFA was therefore responsible for ensuring the quality and proper organization of the project. IFA works with a network of experienced partners in the target countries with whom partnership agreements (Memoranda of Understanding) defining the conditions and quality criteria already exist. IFA has been successfully working together with most of the partner institutions for many years. Throughout the entire stay abroad, mentors from the receiving institution, the host company or IFA supported the participants to supervise their progress and ensure the quality of the internship. After completing the internship, all the participants received a “Personal Transcript” outlining the activities completed and knowledge and skills acquired with confirmation from the receiving institution and host company. All internships were recognized as part of the vocational training in Austria.

The funding received within the framework of the project was used to finance stays abroad for a total of 573 individuals in vocational training, 16 vocational training specialists and 1 accompanying person. 334 apprentices completed a 2 to 11 week internship specifically suited to their profession, individual level of training, knowledge and skills at a company active in their professional field. IFA organized internships in small groups during summer and fall of 2015 and spring and fall of 2016. Participation was open for apprentices from every profession and industry from all over Austria. The applicants were selected based on their technical, linguistic and personal skills. IFA organized the travel, stay abroad, internship, accommodation and insurance for the participants as well as accompanying language courses. IFA prepared the apprentices and companies organizationally, culturally and linguistically for the stays and ensured that the internships were recognized as part of the apprenticeship training in accordance with the Vocational Training Act (BAG). 193 students from vocational schools and colleges also completed an internship relevant to their professional field that was suitable for their training and level of knowledge. The internships were organized in close cooperation with the sending schools in order to ensure they were recognized as part of the compulsory internship. Most student internships took place in the summer of 2016. The duration of the internship ranged between 2 and 13 weeks. The content of the internships were defined in terms of the occupational and training profiles and curricula as well as the individual skills of the participants and were specified before the internship in a learning agreement between IFA, the participants and the sending and receiving institutions together with the learning objectives that were to be achieved during the internship. Given that a majority of the apprentices were minors, the apprentice groups were accompanied by an IFA counsellor during the first week abroad. The counsellors helped the apprentices get settled in the host country and visited all the participating companies to ensure that the content and processes fulfilled the objectives. Contact persons at the receiving institution and IFA were available to support the participants throughout their entire stay abroad. One participant with special needs was assisted by a qualified accompanying person throughout the entire stay in order to secure help with day-to-day activities and with internship-related issues. Furthermore, within the framework of the project, 16 training officers from companies and vocational schools as well as vocational training experts participated in a 1 or 2 week-long workshop to exchange their experiences in order to learn about VET systems in other countries, compare them with the Austrian system and exchange ideas amongst each other and with colleagues from abroad. The goal was to promote the quality, innovation and the European idea in vocational education and training through cross-border exchanges. The participants were multipliers and could share their experiences in companies, schools and throughout Austria and thus contribute to a Europeanisation of the Austrian VET system.While abroad, the participants acquired technical, linguistic, social, intercultural and personal skills and expanded their personal and professional horizons. An internship abroad contributes to the strengthening of important key skills such as teamwork, personal responsibility, flexibility and much more.Experiences abroad promote career opportunities and ensure the future career of the participants and thus the competitiveness of Austrian companies. International exchange increases the overall quality of the Austrian VET.IFA is a non-profit association that has been organizing internships abroad since 1995 for apprentices, professionals and training officers. Since 1995, IFA has helped more than 7000 people take part in an EU-funded stay abroad. As the applicant and co-ordinating institution, IFA was therefore responsible for ensuring the quality and proper organization of the project.IFA works with a network of experienced partners in the target countries with whom partnership agreements (Memoranda of Understanding) defining the conditions and quality criteria already exist. IFA has been successfully working together with most of the partner institutions for many years.Throughout the entire stay abroad, there was always someone from the receiving institution, the host company or IFA at the participants’ side to supervise their progress and ensure the quality of the internship. After completing the internship, all the participants received a “Personal Transcript” outlining the activities completed and knowledge and skills acquired with confirmation from the receiving institution and host company. All internships were recognized as part of the vocational training in Austria.

FP5-DACtiVate project brings together 21 European partners from end-users, large industry, railway undertakings – operators and wagon keepers, unions, SMEs, and research, thus, covering the entire value chain. The FP5-DACtiVate project is set to advance the full digitalization of freight train operations in Europe, building on prior initiatives such as S2R's IP5, the EDDP, and EURail’s FP5-TRANS4M-R. The project aims to enable the pre-deployment of pilot trains with Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) by executing required additional tests to the complementary project FP5-TRANS4M-R, thus establishing confidence before full implementation, while enabling DAC-authorization processes. The project aims to test the interchangeability of DAC components,expand the number of Wagon Onboard Units in line with FP5-TRANS4M-R's system architecture, and enable thorough validation of the pre-deployment trains by additional locomotives able to integrate hybrid couplers. Collaboration with FP5-TRANS4M-R is vital to align with its functional specifications and technical architecture, ensuring the project's contribution is significant and supports the related DAC authorization process.