Brussels is a hub of open technology and digital policy discussions as of late. OFE organises the EU Open Source Policy Summit on 1 February, but the main momentum for this week comes from the renowned Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting (FOSDEM), a fixture in Brussels that has engendered an ever increasing number of ancillary activities and events. OpenForum Europe’s team and partners will participate in various capacities throughout the week, whether as speakers or as attendees absorbing knowledge and insights.
So, while we make no claims of being the organisers of everything below, we feel like an umbrella term is needed. So mark your calendars: The Brussels Open Tech Week 2024, from 31 January to 5 February. It promises to be an eventful week for all enthusiasts and professionals engaged in the open tech landscape and EU policy.
We keep this post updated as we find more events and activities that might interest the community (and have we missed something, let us know)!
31 January – Wednesday
Antitrust, Regulation, and the Next World Order
The digital regulation experiment has started. But we are also going through simultaneous major paradigm shifts in antitrust, industrial policy and trade. Competition is not a silo. Join us for a gathering of top regulators, judges, legislators and academics to discuss challenges and goals.
1 February – Thursday
European Commission’s Open Source Workshops
Three Directorates-General from the European Commission (Connect, DIGIT and GROW) are joining forces to organize a physical event in Brussels to discuss Open Source in four key areas for Digital Autonomy.
CHAOSScon EU 2024
Learn about and discuss open source project health metrics and tools used by open source projects, communities, OSPOs and others.
OSSci @ FOSDEM: Advancing science through open source and AI
OSSci will be in town for FOSDEM, CHAOSSCon, and the EU Open Source Policy Summit 2024. Join this meetup to explore the intersections of open source, AI, and scientific research.
2 February – Friday
EU Open Source Policy Summit
Our event is largest assembly of policymakers, Open Source businesses, community members, developers, foundations, and experts engaged in diverse digital policy matters. Registration is currently open for those interested in attending. In-person registrations are closed, but you can join online.
3 February – Saturday
FOSDEM Day 1 + Legal & Policy DevRoom
Join the main event of the week. FOSDEM is a two-day event organised by volunteers to promote the widespread use of free and open source software. FOSDEM is widely recognised as the best such conference in Europe.
4 February – Sunday
FOSDEM Day 2 + Foundations’ Policy DevRoom
The EU Policy Devroom will take place for a full day (09:00-17:00), on Sunday 4 February 2024, and will be an in-person event in a room to be announced later.The goal of the devroom is for FOSS Community Members and European policy makers to meet and understand each other so as to ensure future legislation does no harm to the valuable open source sector, and ideally advances the development and use of open source.
5 February – Monday
OFE Policy Workshop
This event is now full. An internal meeting of the people we worked with in 2023 on policy files. To work with us in 2024, contact Ciarán and meet us at the Summit or at FOSDEM.
OpenForum Europe invites all interested in the future of open tech and digital policy, especially those who seek to understand the EU’s approach, to schedule a whole week in Brussels early next year. Whether you are an industry veteran, a policy maker, an academic, or simply a curious mind, the Brussels Open Tech Week 2024 looks to become an unmissable opportunity.