OpenProject at the Berlin Summit on European Digital Sovereignty
Europe needs open, interoperable tools to collaborate across borders. Especially in the public sector. This vision was reaffirmed at the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty in Berlin, where leaders committed to strengthening open source infrastructures like openDesk OpenProject was invited on site as part of openDesk.
Summit on European Digital Sovereignty
This week, the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty took place in Berlin, hosted by the German government and attended by high-level political leaders and open source innovators from across the continent. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron laid out a joint vision for a sovereign digital Europe.
OpenProject participated as part of openDesk
When we talk about digital sovereignty in Germany and Europe, we talk about openDesk. openDesk is the secure all in one office and collaboration suite, for the public sector and everyone else. OpenProject is proud to be a core component, powering project and task management in a secure, privacy-first environment.
In his speech, Merz mentioned ZenDiS’s OpenDesk as an alternative that is already being used at the Robert Koch Institute and is also in use, at least selectively, in the Chancellery and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. We reported on this in our blog a few weeks ago.
The significance of digital sovereignty is evident
It is a positive sign that all 27 EU member states have signed the “Declaration on European Digital Sovereignty” initiated by Austria, thereby establishing a framework for action on digital sovereignty.
Another strong signal is the increasing presence of openDesk and the topic of digital sovereignty in general in the press. After the summit, the official German news programs Tagesschau and Tagesthemen have reported on the importance of digital sovereignty.
As Adriana Groh, CEO of Sovereign Tech Agency, summarizes at her speach on the Berlin summit this week: “Open source has proven itself to be a winning strategy — not recently, but for decades.”
Conclusion: Attention is great, but the work continues
Europe has the talent, the tools, and the momentum to shape its digital future, openly and collaboratively. The Berlin summit was a powerful reminder that open source is no longer a niche solution, but a strategic choice at the highest levels of government.
OpenProject is proud to be part of this movement. Together with the openDesk ecosystem and partners across Europe, we are committed to creating digital tools that serve the public good.
Still, we share the feeling expressed by ZenDiS on LinkedIn, that we miss even clearer commitments to open source solutions. Because even though the importance of digital sovereignty is becoming increasingly apparent, there is still a lack of clear communication, decisions, and speed.
If you’re working in digital public administration, now is the time to join the conversation. Learn more about openDesk and book a demo with ZenDiS to discuss your options.
