FOSS Backstage

Interested in embedding design thinking into the engineering world? Join Miguel Divo, @erioldoesdesign.bsky.social, @gloria.design and David Edler at #FOSSBackstage. Their panel explores how design contributions are valuable assets for greater impact in engineering circles: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Can FOSS Backstage get any better? Yes, it can! Our co-located event, FOSS Backstage Design, just confirmed amazing speakers. On March 18th, hear from Imani Joy (Mastodon), Andy Betts (KDE), Pablo Vazquez & Dalai Felinto (Blender) and Lahari Chowtoori (AWS). Get your ticket: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Open source licenses matter, but ecosystem is what truly defines how open and sustainable a project is. Open source isn’t always as open as it seems! At #FOSSBackstage, Jos Poortvliet will guide you through tactics beyond licensing to lock you in.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Michelin, a company with 136 years of history, is building its open source culture. Florent Zara and Julien Millau will discuss their OSPO strategies, governance, change management, and progress, along with key lessons learned and ongoing challenges.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Join Nicholas Gates at FOSS Backstage to explore how European local governments collaborate on open source solutions.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Join us for FOSS Backstage on 16-17 March in Berlin and online: tickets.plainschwarz...

The city of Munich has developed a simple method for measuring digital sovereignty and has derived measures based on this. Join Jutta Kreyss to learn about this measurement method and how FOSS can contribute to achieving digital sovereignty.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

The ORT Server, based on the OSS Review Toolkit, automates software compliance checks for enterprises. Join Martin Nonnenmacher and Sebastian Schuberth at FOSS Backstage to learn how to use the ORT Server to meet obligations under the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Join Gregor Bransky for a tour of Germany's oldest hackerspace, c-base, on 16 March at 19:40, right after our Get-Together!

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Haven't got your ticket yet? Join us for the eighth edition of FOSS Backstage and get your ticket now: tickets.plainschwarz...

Join the #FOSSBack community online on 16–17 March and experience the conference from anywhere!

Enjoy full access to sessions across three stages, participate in real-time Q&As, and engage with the global community – all from your screen.

Get your Only Online Ticket here: tickets.plainschwarz...

We are happy to announce that IT-Schulungen.com is once again Media Partner for FOSS Backstage!

Learn more: it-schulungen.com/

Work on FOSS projects for the Sovereign Tech Agency has included significant Log4J updates, enhanced SystemD test coverage, updated Yocto CVE reports, and a new PHP infrastructure-as-code solution. Join Jan Lehnardt for a recap of the past two and a half years.
 
Read more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

We are thrilled to announce Amazon Web Services as our Main Partner for this year’s FOSS Backstage!

Learn more: aws.amazon.com/de/op...

Free and open standards can drive innovation and interoperability in the EU's digital and industrial policies. Madalin Neag will explore how the Linux Foundation’s State of Open Standards report can enhance regulation, trust, and competitiveness.
 
Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Only three weeks until #FOSSBack!

We’ve gathered an incredible lineup of global speakers ready to dive deep into governance & community, legal & compliance, economics, security, design and more.

Learn more about our program: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Get your ticket: tickets.plainschwarz...

Join Maximilian Kroker to explore the benefits and liabilities of the CRA’s Open-Source Software Steward status for non-profits and volunteer communities. Learn how to navigate potential pitfalls and use this status safely.
 
Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Contributors are the lifeblood of open source, yet many projects struggle to grow beyond a small core team. Join Mustapha Rufai at this year's FOSS Backstage to learn simple, hands-on techniques to get more people contributing to open source projects.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Over the past decade, the Open Source Hardware Association has certified thousands of pieces of open hardware from almost 70 countries. Join @michaelweinberg.org at #FOSSBack, where he will be sharing their learnings. 

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Join us: tickets.plainschwarz...

Companies developing Free Software face challenges from competitors disguising proprietary software as “open,” which undermines competition and strategic procurement. Join Johannes Näder to learn about openwashing tactics and potential solutions.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

We are thrilled to welcome Mercedes-Benz as our Main Partner for this year’s FOSS Backstage!

Learn more about Mercedes-Benz's contribution to open-source software: opensource.mercedes-...

Join Jochen Topf at this year's FOSS Backstage to explore how the OpenStreetMap project has organized two million volunteer contributors over the past 20 years to achieve their common goal in mapping and open-source software.  

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

One month to go until the open source community reunites once again in Berlin. At FOSS Backstage, from March 16 to 17, we’ll explore the non-coding aspects of successful open source projects.

🎫 tickets.plainschwarz...

#FOSSBackstage #OpenSource #FOSS #Berlin #Conference

We know that attending a conference can be challenging for those with children. That’s why children under the age of 16 enter for free and younger kids can be accompanied by an additional adult. More info: 26.foss-backstage.de...

#FOSSBackstage #Berlin #conference #childcare #OpenSource

Ready to share your flashes of inspiration? Don’t miss our Lightning Talk session on Monday, March 16! You get 5 min. to talk us through your short ideas, pitches and cases on community, management and compliance in FOSS: 26.foss-backstage.de...

#FOSSBackstage #OpenSource #LightningTalks

Compliance with legislation alone doesn’t ensure a great user experience, especially for an operating system used by millions. Join Leia Ruffini and Juan Ruitiña as they discuss their development of an accessibility strategy that addresses both obvious and subtle aspects.

26.foss-backstage.de...

Policy debates often suggest that adopting FOSS ensures digital sovereignty, but is that true? Sovereignty comes from technical capacity and community influence, not just license freedoms. Join Mirko Boehm at #FOSSBack to explore this topic!

Session abstract: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Africa possesses a wealth of tech talent keen to engage in open-source projects. However, challenges such as technical requirements and limited mentorship often discourage them. Join Seyi Kuforiji at FOSS Backstage to explore solutions to these issues.

Learn more: 26.foss-backstage.de...

Design and #UX are a crucial step toward making open source software accessible to everyone. FOSS Backstage Design (18th March 2026) is where designers, UX-experts and #OpenSource enthusiasts meet to connect, share, and collaborate!

Get your ticket now: 26.foss-backstage.de...

#OpenSourceDesign

The largest users of the Open Collective Platform have become a 501(c)(6) non-profit, ousting the initial investors. Shannon Wray will discuss their evolving governance, current challenges to financial sustainability, and contributions to the open-source ecosystem.
 
🔗 26.foss-backstage.de...

OSS thrives through open tools and collaboration. However, hardware remains trapped behind prohibitively expensive tool licences and limited foundry access. Join Tara Tarakiyee to learn about the structural barriers preventing hardware from following software's path.

🔗 26.foss-backstage.de...

We are happy to have pwc back as our partner for FOSS Backstage 2026!

Learn more about pwc Open Source: pwc.de/de/risk-regul...