OSPOs for sovereignty
A great deal has been written about open source as a mechanism for advancing digital sovereignty, less about the role Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) play in helping organisations transition from open source deserts to rainforests; from unmanaged scarcity to systematic abundance.
Open Source Program Offices are typically viewed through the lens of risk control: tracking, license compliance, and SBOMs. We might speak about regulatory alignment or inbound/outbound governance, and we almost certainly discuss processes and procedures. In short, they're framed as reactions to open source rather than catalysts for it.
This talk argues that OSPOs play a vital role in driving greater open source adoption from the start; not simply as project governors, but as cultural transformers.
They are the infrastructure that brings life to the desert and gives reality to dreams of digital sovereignty.
Christian is a highly respected open source strategy and governance expert with many years of international experience and has the honour of serving on the board of OW2. In 2020, Christian founded his consultancy company, Open Up, after leading the Open Source Governance team at Orange. During his tenure, he spearheaded the creation of the OW2 Open Source Accessibility Initiative and the OW2 Good Governance Initiative. Christian holds diplomas in Neurobiology from the University of Sussex and Cognitive Science from the University of Birmingham.