Smart Country Convention 2026

openCode

Partnerships for a secure software supply chain

With more than 13,000 users and over 5,700 projects, openCode is not only the central platform for the collaborative development, exchange and reuse of open source software, but also contributes key infrastructure components to the sovereign digitalisation of the state through the development of secure software supply chains for public administration (i.a. in accordance with the requirements of the Cyber Resilience Act and the German Public Administration Cloud) as well as its further development into a DevSecOps reference platform for the Deutschland-Stack. At SCCON, we will provide insights into the Secure Government Container Initiative (SGCI) programme, under which hardened base components (container images) are generated and made available for public administration. Also in the spotlight: the openCode Security Suite, which supports developers in integrating security-relevant functions directly into the development process in a standardised manner and having them tested.

openDesk

Innovation and expertise from an entire ecosystem

Our sovereign office and collaboration suite brings together tried-and-tested solutions from established open source vendors in Germany and Europe into a high-performance offering. In future, this ecosystem will be expanded to include a community of operators comprising public IT service providers, cloud providers and system integrators, who will meet the strong demand for openDesk and roll out the suite on a large scale. At SCCON, we will also highlight the role openDesk plays in the federal and state modernisation agenda, how openDesk functions as an emergency workplace (cloud-based communication in a crisis) and what the roadmap looks like for specific security requirements, AI and the integration of further components. Visitors can experience and test the sovereign workplace solution live on-site at our booth.

Criteria for Digital Sovereignty

The foundation for strategic sovereignty management

Identifying dependencies, reliably assessing risks, and strategically aligning procurement: all of this requires a reliable data foundation. At SCCON 2026, we will present a comprehensive catalogue of criteria for Digital Sovereignty. This is intended to form the basis for a systematic measurement model with specific assessment questions and evidence – the Sovereignty Check. In addition to digital services and infrastructure, it also examines the overall digital self-determination and resilience of public institutions. The catalogue of criteria was developed through an open dialogue with experts from politics, public administration, academia, business and civil society. Further information is available at https://souveränitätscheck.de/

Day 1 | 13 October

11:30h
Secure Together: The Secure Government Container Initiative
Janou Feikens (Community Manager openCode, ZenDiS)
Digital Sovereignty in public administration requires shared infrastructure, standards and governance mechanisms to ensure transparency, security and sustainable reuse. The Secure Government Container Initiative (SGCI), launched by ZenDiS and the Foreign Office’s Foreign IT department, takes precisely this approach. With container.gov.de, a shared distribution infrastructure for hardened container images for the public sector is being established for the first time within the openCode ecosystem. The presentation demonstrates how this community-driven approach pools resources, reduces effort and establishes a uniform level of trust.

12:15h
openDesk – From Product to Ecosystem
Pamela Krosta-Hartl (Managing Director, ZenDiS) & Alexander Smolianitski (Head of Products & Delivery, ZenDiS)
openDesk was launched at SCCON two years ago. Since then, the suite has sold around 200,000 licences; all federal states are trialling openDesk, and the federal government is using it as part of its modernisation agenda. Now the scaling phase begins – and with it, the focus is shifting to the ecosystem. After all, open source does not thrive on the product alone: sustainable use and further development require partners, service providers and a broad user base. We’ll show how the new partner programme gives public authorities access to qualified service providers – and why openDesk is now also opening up to the private sector as end users.

13:00h
Bye-bye Microsoft – Hello openDesk and OX App Suite!
Götz Wohlberg (Product Manager, Open-Xchange)
Many public sector organisations want to reduce their dependence on Microsoft, but are concerned about the risks involved in migration, functionality and day-to-day operations. We’ll show why switching to the fully sovereign digital workplace, openDesk, is possible and how Open-Xchange supports this transition. Using specific features of the OX App Suite and examples of successful client projects, we’ll demonstrate how open technologies, security and user-friendliness can be combined. The key message: moving away from Microsoft is a challenging process but can be successfully implemented with the right technology and an experienced partner.

13:45h
Secure Supply Chains for Public Administration: openCode DevGuard
Sebastian Kawelke (Co-Managing Director, L3montree)
Software supply chain security is not a one-off task: it arises where platforms, projects and public authorities work together. From the perspective of an OSS project on openCode, we will demonstrates how the Security Suite can be put to practical use: from automatically generated SBOMs through continuous vulnerability management to proof of provenance and integrity. We’ll walk through the steps a team needs to take to integrate their own repositories, and explain the benefits for maintainers, operators and end-users. The result: shared security efforts rather than parallel, isolated solutions: the foundation of a secure, sovereign ecosystem.

14:30h
Introduction of openDesk at the THJV
Tilman Lüttje (openDesk Architect, B1 Systems)
The talk provides insights into the ongoing roll-out of openDesk within the Thuringian Prison Service, as part of the IT infrastructure of the Thuringian State Data Centre. We’ll outline the steps that have already been implemented, those that are planned, and report on the challenges posed by long-established public authority structures. A key focus is on the migration, which is scheduled to take place over several years, and the necessary coexistence of openDesk and Microsoft Exchange during this period. The insights gained and solutions developed are to serve as a blueprint for the phased migration of other Thuringian public authorities.

15:15h
openDesk: A Sovereign Component for Federal Administration
Nils Masuch (Department DSII4, Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation)
From the perspective of the Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS), this presentation outlines the role that openDesk plays in the journey towards a sovereign workplace within the federal administration. The focus is on current deployment and pilot scenarios, security and compliance requirements, and integration into the modernisation agendas of the federal and state governments. It also addresses cooperation with the states, local authorities and European partners, and the question of how openDesk can become a widely applicable, secure and scalable solution for public administration.

16:00h
Collabora Office: Embracing Sovereign Document Collaboration
Thorsten Behrens (Managing Director Germany, Collabora Productivity Germany)
Digital Sovereignty cannot be achieved by individual providers – it arises from a collaborative ecosystem. Collabora Online – the powerful document editor at the heart of openDesk – transforms ‘Digital Sovereignty’ for public administration from a political goal into everyday practice: through shared standards, interoperable formats and collaboration. This presentation will showcase the latest features of Collabora Online, its seamless integration with openDesk, and its cross-platform offering, which creates a secure, efficient and collaborative environment for trustworthy teamwork.

16:45h
Best-of-Breed, Built Together: Sovereignty in openDesk
Hato Nordeck (CEO, Nordeck IT + Consulting)
With Jitsi and NeoBoard, Nordeck provides video and whiteboard functionality for openDesk – two specialised open source components within the platform’s best-of-breed approach. Using three practical examples, we demonstrate how this fosters sovereignty: hardened Jitsi images that were contributed upstream to the community and incorporated into the openDesk Helm charts; a whiteboard that deliberately relies on Matrix infrastructure rather than its own backend; and features developed in collaboration with teachers for the Digital Workplace Baden-Württemberg.

Day 2 | 14 October

10:00h
Moving Away From Jira: A Successful Migration to OpenProject
Rosanna Sibora (CPO, OpenProject)
Organisations are looking for an alternative to Jira in order to reduce dependencies, regain control over their data, keep costs predictable and build a sustainable digital infrastructure. This presentation provides practical insights into the transition from Jira to OpenProject, the open source platform for product and project management. It highlights what sets OpenProject apart, how to ensure a successful transition, which best practices can help, and why OpenProject is far more than just a Jira alternative: it is a robust collaboration platform offering full control over data, infrastructure and AI.

10:45h
The Digital Workplace for Teachers
Mario Schmid (Senior Inspector of Schools, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Baden-Württemberg)
The Digital Workplace for Teachers (DAP) is a component of the modular digital education platform SCHULE@BW and is based on openDesk. The DAP has been rolled out to over 80,000 teachers in Baden-Württemberg and enables Digital Sovereignty in day-to-day operations. This presentation provides an insight into the DAP and outlines its technical and procedural background.

11:30h
openCode – Developing and Assessing Software Securely
Alexandros Bouras (Team Lead Platform openCode, ZenDiS)
On openCode, public institutions can not only share and jointly develop open source software: with the help of the openCode Security Suite, IT security is automatically and optimally integrated into the software development process, and the assessment of software based on standardised criteria is made transparent. We demonstrate how openCode contributes to a secure software development process (sSDLC) within the context of the Deutschland-Stack, thereby forming a key infrastructure component for the sovereign digitalisation of the state.

12:15h
Sustainable Secrets Management with OpenBao
Felix Kronlage-Dammers (Country Manager, Adfinis) & Andrii Fedorchuk (Team Lead Software Engineering, Adfinis)
Digital Sovereignty has many facets – secrets management is still frequently underestimated in this context. In increasingly complex environments, secrets management is a fundamental building block. OpenBao, the Vault fork backed by the Linux Foundation and OpenSSF, offers an open alternative. With Secretz Enterprise, Adfinis – co-maintainer and current TSC Chair of the project – provides enterprise support featuring a predictable flat-fee model, 24/7 support and an ‘upstream-first’ commitment for OpenBao. The presentation demonstrates how public administrations can manage secrets in a sovereign and auditable manner, without incurring a ‘success tax’.

13:00h
We’re Interoperable so You Can Be Digitally Sovereign
Dr. Patrick Alberts (Managing Director, Element)
A government can't be sovereign if its communications are trapped in a walled garden. Digitally sovereign communications need an interoperable open standard – like email or the phone network. Matrix is that standard – decentralised and resilient by design. openDesk uses Matrix-based Element as its chat component. That means users can reach any organisation on Matrix – including cross-border peers like the European Commission, France's LaSuite, Sweden's SAFOS and Netherlands' MijnBureau. Hear how the Matrix open standard turns interoperability into real Digital Sovereignty for Germany's public administration and beyond.

13:45h
Systematically Assessing Digital Self-Determination
Dr. Lea Beiermann (Partnership Lead, ZenDiS)
How can a public authority strengthen its Digital Sovereignty? To date, there has been a lack of suitable criteria for systematically assessing the status quo and progress. Existing models, e.g. EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework and BSI’s C3A, focus on cloud sovereignty. Building on these approaches, the Centre Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS) developed a comprehensive assessment model for public administration. The criteria catalogue covers technical and organisational aspects: from open standards and procurement to strategy. We showcase how public administrations can analyse critical digital dependencies and identify concrete courses of action.

14:30h
Identity Connects: IAM as a Matter of Sovereignty
Sebastian Berndt (Key Account Manager, Univention)
Digital Sovereignty arises where people, organisations and applications can work together securely and flexibly. The prerequisite for this is a shared, open identity and access management (IAM) system: it links specialist processes and collaboration tools, establishes clear responsibilities, enhances security and reduces dependence on individual providers. This presentation demonstrates how an open IAM foundation becomes a strategic infrastructure. Using Nubus as an example, it illustrates how open standards and a strong ecosystem enable freedom of choice, data protection and sustainable digitalisation in the public sector.

15:15h
Migrating the European Parliament from Confluence to XWiki
Clément Aubin (Head of Sales and Professional Services, XWiki)
Digital Sovereignty requires more than adopting a new tool. Public institutions need a credible path out of proprietary platforms, backed by an ecosystem that can preserve continuity at scale. Drawing on our work migrating the European Parliament from Confluence, with 15,000 users and 700 spaces, we share practical lessons on preserving permissions, structures, macros and links, financing reusable migration tooling, and managing change. We show how cooperation among institutions, open source vendors, communities and service partners can turn one complex migration into reusable capacity for a more sovereign public sector.

16:00h
Nextcloud & openDesk: Driving Digital Sovereignty Together
Frank Karlitschek (CEO, Nextcloud)
Nextcloud Files is the component for secure file synchronisation and file sharing within openDesk. Organisations can store files, collaborate on them and access them from anywhere – whilst retaining full control over their data and infrastructure. In this session, Frank Karlitschek will demonstrate how Nextcloud Files lays the foundation for a sovereign digital workplace – with secure collaboration, open standards and seamless integration into the openDesk ecosystem.

16:45h
VS-NfD Compliant Mobile Use of openDesk – The genua Example
Alexander Smolianitski (Head of Products & Delivery, ZenDiS) & Paula Hemker (Presales Consultant, genua)
State-sponsored attacks, AI-powered malware and stricter regulation (NIS-2, CRA) put pressure on public authorities: mobile working must be possible without compromising on the VS-NfD standard. Using our partner genua – a Bundesdruckerei subsidiary – as an example, we’ll show how openDesk can be used securely whilst on the move: with an integrated ecosystem comprising hardware-independent software, pre-configured laptops and core network infrastructure. Use cases illustrate how the genusecure suite centred around openDesk can be rolled out in a few steps, without interfering with administrative processes or fragmenting the IT infrastructure.

17:30h
openDesk as an Emergency Workplace and in a Client Project
Nico Appelfeller (Consultant openDesk, Telekom) & Matthias Bender (Portfolio Manager openDesk, T-Systems)
A case study and practical insights from the use of openDesk as an emergency workplace (cloud-based communication in a crisis – CKKI) and from a client project.

Day 5 | 15 October

10:00h
Secure Software Supply Chain & Community Instead of Hotfixes
Stefan Barth (Deputy Programme Director PLAIN, Federal Foreign Office)
New security vulnerabilities emerge every day – but the fight against CVEs does not have to be waged by each government agency on its own. PLAIN, the Federal Government’s DevOps platform run by the Federal Foreign Office, and ZenDiS are working together to create a secure software supply chain featuring hardened container images, automated security updates and reusable open source building blocks. The key to success is the community: federal ministries and government agencies are working together to develop, improve and share secure base components – for a strong security ecosystem and greater Digital Sovereignty.

10:45h
openDesk Thinks Along: AI Agents for Daily Administration
Alexander Smolianitski (Head of Products & Delivery, ZenDiS) & Dr. Dieter Bolz (IT Development, ZenDiS)
Everyone’s talking about AI – and now it’s in openDesk too. In this session, we’ll be offering a first glimpse behind the scenes: we’ll be showcasing new AI features that manufacturers are making available in their openDesk components, and presenting an initial prototype for an agent mode within openDesk. The aim: agents are designed to relieve the daily workload of repetitive processes, so that colleagues in public administration can carry out their work even more sovereignly – using AI that remains secure, transparent and under their own control. A first glimpse of what’s to come.

11:30h
Crisis-Proof: openDesk as an Emergency Workplace
Malin Roppel (Project Manager, ZenDiS)
Ransomware or DDoS attacks can bring public administrations to a standstill within hours. As part of the EU-funded CKKI collaborative project, the German Pension Insurance, Federal Employment Agency, BITMARCK and BG-Phoenics, together with Schwarz Digits, IONOS, T-Systems and ZenDiS, tested whether and how openDesk could be used as an emergency workplace. The result: in emergency tests under real-world conditions, openDesk proved itself to be fit for crisis situations, and migration between cloud infrastructures was also successful. In the subsequent consultation process, the requirements for openDesk as an emergency workplace were refined.