Olivier Delteil, a project leader on “La Suite” an ambitious French open source project, recently shared his insights into the initiative. The project aims to enhance digital autonomy by creating shared tools and frameworks that could be useful for cross-border cooperation. Delteil discussed the team’s structure, collaborative approach, and technological milestones, as well as the significance of achieving interoperability on a European scale.
The Team and Project Origins
With an Open source and Digital commons Division recently complementing the work of the OSPO already set up in 2021 inside of the French Interministerial Directorate for Digital Services (DINUM) —constituted of Emma Ghariani, Delteil himself, and Bastien Guerry—“La Suite” is set out to build an environment that provides French administration with the necessary sovereign digital tools. He explained that “La Suite” was established with ambitious goals: developing an ecosystem of interoperable solutions for digital text editing, artificial intelligence (AI) modules (including transcription and translation from audio), and secure Single Sign-On (SSO) mechanisms for pan-European use. La suite enables public agents to access various tools such as Tchap, Grist, or the more usual messaging, web conferencing and note pad tools.
To make this possible, cross-border teams from Germany and France worked intensively putting the equivalent of 100 days of development over 6 months, collaborating on three major components that form the backbone of “La Suite.” This project phase was marked by continuous, intense collaboration, and the release of MVPs, laying the foundation for a secure, scalable, and interoperable system that could address Europe’s digital needs.
The Hackathon: Bringing Ideas to Life
In September, “La Suite” hosted a two-day hackathon, where team members from different countries came together to work face-to-face and showcase their progress. “We wanted to bring everyone together at the halfway mark” Delteil added, “to ensure that our efforts were aligned and that we could truly work together to deliver something valuable and functional.”
The hackathon format, as Delteil noted, was selected to provide “a dynamic, hands-on opportunity” to assess the project’s direction and test out new ideas. This gathering not only fostered collaboration but also allowed for interactive demonstrations and real-time feedback. “We wanted to bring people in early” he explained, “so we invited European partners to join us and see where we were going, particularly partners from the UK, Denmark, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands.”
The second day was dedicated to these European partners, enabling stakeholders from a diverse range of countries to witness the project’s developments and consider future integrations with their own digital frameworks. This collaborative spirit was crucial for Delteil and the team, who were committed to making “La Suite” a solution that could work for Europe as a whole.
Signing of the Memorandum: A Major Milestone
A defining moment in the project was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a commitment formalised by State Secretary Markus Richter, CIO of the Federal State of Germany, and Stéphanie Schaer, Interministerial Director for Digital Affairs (DINUM). This MoU was more than a formal agreement; it signified Europe’s commitment to digital sovereignty and mutual growth. “With the MoU, we have solidified a foundation for collaboration,” Delteil noted, “and it’s symbolic as well as practical—it shows Europe is serious about digital convergence and autonomy.”
The memorandum underscored the importance of shared goals, responsibilities, and mutual support, allowing “La Suite” to proceed with a greater sense of stability.
Final Demonstration in December
The project’s final demonstration, scheduled for December, will be the culmination of the 100-day effort, showcasing fully developed solutions and offering a glimpse of the practical applications of “La Suite.” Delteil expressed his excitement for the December event, noting that it would “highlight the impact of our collaborative effort and display the project’s advancements in interoperability and digital cooperation.”
The demonstration will allow European partners to witness the final product in action and see the results of months of collaboration. It will be a testament to the commitment shared across borders, with interoperability as a core focus.