The Data Fusion Bus (DFB) is ITML’s intelligent middleware for real-time data integration, designed to unify heterogeneous sources into a coherent and interoperable data ecosystem. Acting as the digital backbone across domains such as mobility, energy, environment, and security, DFB enables seamless data flow between IoT devices, sensors, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems. Through a modular, microservice-based architecture, it supports dynamic, event-driven communication and ensures efficient, secure, and standards-compliant data exchange across hybrid infrastructures spanning the edge-to-cloud continuum.

By combining semantic harmonization, edge analytics, and rule-based orchestration, the DFB transforms fragmented information into actionable intelligence. It aggregates and contextualizes data from diverse sources — including sensors, digital twins, and operational systems — using ontologies and metadata models that ensure cross-domain interoperability. Embedded AI models enable on-the-fly analytics close to the data source, reducing latency and optimizing resource use while safeguarding privacy through encryption and zero-trust mechanisms.

Scalable and domain-agnostic, the DFB has been deployed in multiple ITML-led projects to address diverse challenges: from coordinating autonomous systems and logistics workflows (HiCONNECTS, EdgeAI), to enabling predictive maintenance and energy efficiency (ARCHIMEDES), supporting multi-hazard environmental monitoring (MedEWSa), and fostering cybersecurity collaboration (CyberSecDome, AVALANCHE). It seamlessly integrates with federated learning frameworks, reasoning engines, and visualization dashboards, providing a foundation for distributed AI applications that require reliability, transparency, and trust.

As a configurable and reusable data fabric, the DFB bridges silos and empowers organizations to operate with real-time situational awareness. It strengthens decision-making and operational resilience across complex environments, establishing itself as the core enabler of intelligent, connected ecosystems and one of ITML’s most mature and impactful data technologies.