DOSBA in Full Swing: Champions of Open Source at Home and Abroad

The Dutch Open Source Business Association (DOSBA) is working on all fronts to put open source and open standards firmly on the map. The influence of our association is growing both in national politics and at international summits. It all revolves around one clear goal: a strong, digitally sovereign future.

The European Lobby

To keep open source and open standards high on the international agenda, DOSBA's presence in Europe is essential. Recently, the delegation has visited Brussels several times to engage directly in the heart of European politics. In addition, the organization was recently represented at the European Resilience Summit in Vienna, and an upcoming visit to the Capital Series in Nicosia (Cyprus) is planned. To achieve these European goals, co-founder and board member Emiel Brok travels across Europe to emphasize the importance of transparency and digital autonomy to decision-makers. For instance, he will be in Paris next week for the OW2con.

Impact in the Netherlands

At the national level as well, the association is making significant strides as a strategic conversation partner for the government. DOSBA is currently holding discussions with high-ranking officials directly under Willemijn Aerts. She was recently prominently in the news regarding the blocked acquisition of the Dutch cloud provider Solvinity by an American party - a highly current case that underscores the need for digital sovereignty.

Furthermore, co-founder and director Ronny Lam participates on behalf of the association in strategic sessions with key figures from the sector, including Erik Smit, Bert Hubert, the VNG (Association of Netherlands Municipalities), and procurement officers of the national government. The lobby in national politics also continues unabated; for instance, important talks in The Hague are on the agenda soon to translate policy into concrete action.

Connected to the Community

DOSBA is also emphatically present in places where the technical community and the broader societal debate intersect. For example, several DOSBA members were recently well represented at the NLUUG conference. Furthermore, the association will soon be present at the PublicSpaces conference in Amsterdam, which focuses on a more public, fairer, and more transparent internet.