OSOR Community Meetup - From Brussels and Barcelona to Europe: Latest Trends in Open Source Adoption

The Open Source Observatory (OSOR) of the European Commission invites you to the OSOR Community Meetup on 28 January: From Brussels and Barcelona to Europe: Latest Trends in Open Source Adoption. The event will take place during the EU Open Source Week.

Digital policy in the European public sector is at a crossroads, a new reality forces decision makers to rethink the established approach. In response, many public administrations are considering and adopting open source solutions in order to succeed in the challenge of digital transformation. 

OSOR has closely monitored these developments and invites you to explore the findings, investigating the progress and trends of public sector open source adoption in Europe, both on the national and local level, with new reports. A new OSOR handbook on how the public sector can adopt open source will also be presented. Through this knowledge-sharing session and the latest OSOR updates, participants will gain concrete insights, practical guidance, and a clearer strategic view to help them confidently navigate the evolving open source landscape in the public sector.

The Barcelona City Council was confronted with the same challenges as other municipalities and, in response, has initiated a pivotal shift toward open source.  As the first city in the world, it has officially adopted the UN Open Source Principles. With this, Barcelona is paving the way for a new era of public participation and collaboration, showcasing a possible future for local government digital public innovation. Arnau Monterde Mateo, Director of participation and Innovation at the Barcelona City Council will present their strategy and will subsequently host a debate on shaping the direction of the city’s switch to open source and its upcoming “Open Tech Week 2026".

The event will also feature opening remarks by the European Commission and a presentation from the European Commission's Open Source Programme Office on recent achievements as well as ongoing projects and the next steps in the Commission’s open source journey.

Join us and discuss with public administration officials, researchers, and the open source community on key developments in open source for the public sector, exchange insights, and explore opportunities for future collaboration.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
• Time:
  • Registration open: 15:00
  • Programme start: 15:30
  • Event conclusion: 17:40
• Location: Rue de la Loi 102, Brussels

Thank you to everyone who could join us!

The presentations slides are available following this link.

The OSOR team