Merge pull request #23 from OpenRailAssociation/news-founding

Add news item about foundation

content/news/2024-01-29-openrail-association-founded.md

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+---
+title: OpenRail Association officially launched
+date: 2024-01-29
+image:
+  src: images/news/first-board-meeting.jpg
+  alt: Picture of the first OpenRail Board of Directors meeting in Paris
+  class: image-position-center
+---
+
+Today, the OpenRail Association officially launched its activities with its first Board of Directors meeting held in Paris and its incorporation as a Belgian non-profit organization. This important milestone marks a major step in our mission to provide a neutral platform for the collaborative development of Open Source software within the railway sector. By combining resources and expertise, we aim to enhance efficiency, quality, and interoperability across the industry.
+
+The association's four founding members — DB, SBB, SNCF, and UIC - have elected Jochen Decker (CIO, SBB) as Chairman of the Board. Nicole Göbel (CEO, DB Systel), Jean-Michel Evanghelou (Projects Director, UIC), and Frédéric Novello (Deputy CIO, SNCF) will serve as Vice Chairs. The newly appointed Technical Committee includes Cornelius Schumacher, Loïc Hamelin, and Peter Keller. They will be supported by the other core team members Mahalia Stephan, Max Mehl, Oana Vlasceanu, and Simon Clavier.
+
+## The road ahead: Projects, Members, Governance
+
+With our official incorporation, we are now ready to accept project proposals and onboard new initiatives. We expect to welcome additional organizations from the sector as new members soon.
+
+To ensure the success of these endeavors, we will establish routines and guidelines to support the hosting of professional Open Source projects. This framework will enable all OpenRail projects to thrive, benefit from synergies and collaboration, and ultimately contribute to the advancement of the entire railway sector.
+
+Interested in finding out more? Discover how you can join the [OpenRail Association and its community]({{< relref "/about" >}}) and become a part of this transformative initiative.