Building Europe’s Public Digital Infrastructure
Forging Digital Sovereignty Ground Up through Local Governments with Open Source Public Digital Infrastructure
January 31, 2026
2:00 PM – 2:25 PM Add to calendar
2:00 PM – 2:25 PM Add to calendar
AW1.120
<p>While digital sovereignty is increasingly prompted on European and National levels, the urgency and risks implied have yet to reach the regional and local levels of government. Building robust public digital infrastructure and services on open source foundations have potential both in addressing risks while also providing a substantial economic up-side considering how public digital services are mirrored across regional and local borders. This talk shares insights from a cross-country, multiple-case study investigating how collaboration, sharing, and reuse among local governments are actively forging sovereignty from the ground up.</p>
<p>Drawing on detailed examples—including democratic engagement platforms, public desktop solutions, open data infrastructure, parliamentary transparency tools, and national public transport systems —the session highlights governance models and practical mechanisms enabling local actors to translate policy ambitions into operational, interoperable, and sovereign public digital infrastructure. By foregrounding how municipal IT teams partner with foundations, non-profits, and each other, the presentation illustrates how public digital infrastructure that can be adapted and reused across borders, tailored to local needs yet scalable for European cooperation.</p>
<p>Attendees will gain concrete recommendations for institutionalising open source in public service delivery, developing community capacity, and ensuring public values are embedded in digital infrastructure. The session advocates for bottom-up, collaborative approaches, demonstrating that digital sovereignty is not merely a national top-down project. Attendees, including policymakers, practitioners, and technologists eager to operationalise digital sovereignty at local and regional levels, will benefit from actionable narratives and strategies grounded in real, European experience.</p>
<p>The full report with all case studies are openly available via OSOR: https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/multiple-case-study-public-sector-open-source</p>
Additional information
| Live Stream | https://live.fosdem.org/watch/aw1120 |
|---|---|
| Type | devroom |
| Language | English |
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