Merge pull request #16 from OpenRailAssociation/mission

Add section about mission

2024/0600-mission.md

@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
 ## Open Source for the Railway Sector
 
 *Tell the story of what the organization is built for. What does it want to achieve and how do the steps we did in 2024 are the beginning of this effort.*
+
+Railways are at the heart of sustainable mobility, and digitalization is shaping the future of our sector. Yet, for too long, railway software has been developed in silos - custom-built, proprietary, and difficult to integrate. The OpenRail Association was founded to change that. Our mission is simple but transformative: **unlock the power of open source in the railway sector to accelerate innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance interoperability**.
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+### A Year of Progress
+
+Since its official launch in January 2024, OpenRail has brought together stakeholders from across Europe to collaborate on open software solutions that address shared challenges. We have established a trusted, neutral space where railway operators, infrastructure managers, and developers can work together without commercial barriers. Some key achievements from our first year include:
+
+* **Growing the Community:** We welcomed founding members and early adopters, including major railway operators and infrastructure managers.
+* **Launching OpenRail Projects:** Five projects have joined the association, tackling critical challenges in infrastructure simulation, condition monitoring, and network planning.
+* **Defining Open Governance:** We have implemented an incubation process that ensures projects follow open-source best practices while addressing sector-specific needs.
+* **Connecting the Ecosystem:** Through conferences, working groups, and partnerships, we have built bridges between open-source communities and railway professionals.
+
+### Breaking Barriers, Creating Opportunities
+
+A common hesitation in the industry is: *"Railways are special. Open source won’t work for us."* Yet, in other sectors—automotive, telecom, and energy—open collaboration has already delivered massive benefits. **Shared, open foundations do not mean losing control; they mean gaining flexibility, reducing costs, and driving innovation faster than any single organization could alone.**
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+We are creating an open house for the railway sector, where expertise is shared, technology evolves collectively, and companies can build upon reliable, transparent solutions. We provide a neutral space to unleash the power of open source and tackle the sector’s unique challenges. **Your projects can be part of this movement.** Whether you aim to improve interoperability, streamline operations, or ensure the long-term sustainability of your software, OpenRail provides the framework and community to make it happen.
+
+### Building Momentum
+
+In the coming year, we are focused on helping our projects grow, ensuring they become more mature, robust, and gain adoption. We will support projects in improving quality, strengthening governance, and reaching the next stage in their development through our incubation process. At the same time, we welcome new projects and members addressing key railway challenges. We want to make sure projects don’t exist in isolation but benefit from each other. Our goal is to connect people, facilitate collaboration, and spread good ideas and solutions across the ecosystem.
+
+### Join Us
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+As we look ahead, we invite railway operators, infrastructure managers, and innovators to explore what open source can do for them. The OpenRail Association is your space to collaborate, experiment, and shape the digital railway of the future, **together, openly.**