The EU’s economic security agenda emphasises reducing structural dependencies in critical and emerging technologies. In the public sector, this is closely linked to interoperability, control over digital infrastructure and the ability to sustain essential services. Open source already functions as a resilience mechanism through shared development and long-term maintainability.

This session will examine how the European Union’s public sector plays a key role in linking open source within economic security policy, with a focus on the Interoperable Europe Act, the revision of the European Interoperability Framework and reinforced by forthcoming initiatives such as the EU Open Digital Ecosystems Strategy. The role of open standards will take a central role. Panellists will also consider how standards are developed and governed, and how open source can align industrial policy, standard-setting and public sector digital transformation across the Union.

Speakers: Dirk Schrödter (Head of the State Chancellery (CdS) and Minister of Digitalization of the State of Schleswig-Holstein), Leontina Sandu (Head of Unit, Interoperability and Digital Government (DIGIT.B.2), European Commission), André Rebentisch (Software project and programme manager), Liv Marte Nordhaug (CEO, Digital Public Goods Alliance) & Dr. Jochen Friedrich (Technical Relations Executive, IBM)