On 28–29 January 2026, partners of the Super Smart Charging Hubs (SSCH) project came together in Kortrijk and Zwevegem (Belgium) for the fourth Project Management Team (PMT) meeting. Hosted by Flux50, the two-day meeting combined strategic discussions with hands-on learning, strengthening collaboration across the SSCH consortium and accelerating progress in the project’s Living Labs.
From industrial heritage to future energy systems
A key highlight of the meeting was the site visit to Transfo Zwevegem, a unique former power plant that has been transformed into a living example of energy innovation. Guided by the site manager, participants explored the historic machine hall, boiler house and transformer buildings, gaining insight into how industrial heritage can be repurposed for modern energy applications.
The visit continued with a technical session led by Ghent University (UGent), focusing on DC networks, charging infrastructure and battery storage. Partners were able to see installations up close and discuss how direct current systems can support efficient, flexible and future-proof charging hubs. These installations are part of the RE/SOURCED project.
Sharing progress and aligning next steps
The meeting in Kortrijk provided space for partners to exchange updates and align on next steps. During the “achievement session”, each organisation shared recent SSCH highlights since the previous meeting, showcasing concrete progress across regions.
Several activities and deliverables were discussed in depth, including:
- Understanding the needs of multi-stakeholder SSCH Living Labs,
- Finalising the SSCH Communication Brief,
- Preparing impact measurement frameworks for the Living Labs,
- Coordinating upcoming site visits and masterclasses to maximise project impact.
Partners also received updates from the Living Labs in Vlissingen, Helsingborg, Mechelen and Copenhagen, followed by discussions on knowledge exchange, pilot phases and the challenge of lacking standards in Vehicle to Grid (V2G) and the related grid codes of the different DSO’s in Europe.
Looking ahead
The meeting concluded with forward-looking discussions on webinars, podcasts and meet-ups, reinforcing the SSCH ambition to share knowledge beyond the consortium and contribute to the wider North Sea Region.
By combining strategic coordination with real-world examples of smart energy systems, the Kortrijk–Zwevegem meeting marked another important step in building scalable, interoperable and user-centred Super Smart Charging Hubs across Europe.
