OpenForum Europe was thrilled to host the 2025 edition of our annual EU Open Source Policy Summit, the biggest open source policy event in Europe, on 31 January. This flagship event has become an important part of the EU Open Source Week, taking place annually on the Friday before FOSDEM, which happens in the first weekend of February. The recordings will be made available in the coming weeks.
Since it started, the Summit has steadily grown into the leading open source policy event in the EU. These days – with the introduction of the Cyber Resilience, the AI Act, and many other initiatives – regularly discuss Open Source and Open Technologies as increasingly regulated parts of our digital society and the digital economy. This event and its concept expanded in scope and reach, making this year’s edition the most impactful Summit this far.
OFE Executive Director Astor Nummelin Carlberg gave the opening remarks for the EU Open Source Policy Summit 2025.
The 2025 Summit was attended by over 200 people in person, with one of the most diverse and engaged audiences we have ever had. Both on stage and in the hallways, we held countless policy discussions and looked forward to the future of Open Source and the European Agenda – whether it be on AI, competitiveness, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, or numerous other areas.
With this celebratory attitude in mind, we wanted to mark the occasion with a blog highlighting the numerous milestones and announcements we celebrated in the lead-up to, during, and after it. There will surely be numerous ideas and lessons learned to share next week, but please take stock of all the exciting things happening that we get to be a part of.
Welcoming New OFE Supporters, Proton and SUSE
At the Summit on Friday, we announced that Proton and SUSE have come on board, further strengthening our group of partners for the long term. After years of cooperation, this formalised partnership expands OFE’s network of supporters, enriching our policy efforts and our work to support the growing and expanding European ecosystem.
Announcing the Next Edition of the OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium on 18-19 November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The OFA Symposium 2025 will take place on 18-19 November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The OpenForum Academy (OFA) Symposium is the only academic conference covering questions relating to the social, political and economic impact of Open Source and Open Technologies. It will expand the scope of the OFA Symposium to focus not just on Open Source more narrowly, but to more fully embrace and highlight the diverse range of open technologies contributing to and impacting society, politics, and the economy. Save the date in your calendars and stay tuned for more information in the coming months.
Honouring the Inaugural Laureates of the EU Open Source Academy!
(From left to right) cURL founder Daniel Stenberg, Founder of Matrix and Element Amandine Le Pape, Portfolio Lead for Wikidata at Wikimedia Deutschland, and Arduino Founder David Cuartielles were among the inaugural laureates of the European Open Source Academy awarded at the European Open Source Awards on 30 January.
On 30 January 2025, the European Open Source Academy (EOSA) was formally launched and hosted the first European Open Source Awards, honouring outstanding individuals who have made transformative contributions to open source software and hardware in Europe at a gala held in Brussels as part of the European Open Source Week. The laureates became the first members of the EOSA and will play a key role in shaping its future, including selecting future award recipients and guiding strategic initiatives. For more on the inaugural laureates, check out this article.
Celebrating the Expansion of the OSPOs for Good into the UN Open Source Week
The OSPOs for Good Symposium 2024 took place on 9-10 July in New York City at the United Nations Headquarters
We are excited to be back for another year, supporting the United Nations to organise the OSPOs for Good Symposium 2025! We were so excited on Friday to announce that the next OSPOs for Good will take place as part of a larger UN Open Source Week, which will include a hackathon hosted by the UN and a number of different side events. This UN Open Source Week will take place in mid-June, during the week of June 16th. If you would like to read more about last year’s conference, check out the new OSPOs for Good Conference Report on the UN website, in the Resources section.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information on the dates for everything!
Looking Forward to Our Capital Series Resuming with the Capital Series Poland on 11 June
After a break, our Capital Series event is back and better than ever! Organised under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council, OFE is excited to host its next edition in Warsaw on 11 June 2025 in Warsaw. Bringing together local stakeholders, as well as national and European policymakers, Capital Series Poland will be a forum for exciting conversations about open source’s role in the security and digital transformation of the country. Save the date and follow our social media channels for more announcements!