FOSS Backstage 2024

OSPOs in Energy, Transport, Automotive & Public Sector
2024-03-04 , Stage Auditorium

In today's world, many organizations are recognizing the importance of Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) in managing their open source activities. However, companies who are not primarily software companies face unique challenges in adopting OSPOs.


In today's world, many organizations are recognizing the importance of Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) in managing their open source activities by adopting a holistic approach to integrating open source into the organization's IT strategy. However, some companies who are not primarily software companies face unique challenges in adopting OSPOs. To bridge this gap, this panel will explore best practices that panelists have used in their industries towards building an OSPO.

During this session, our panelists will focus on the following areas:
- Why form an OSPO?
- What are the OSPO responsibilities?
- What are the considerations organizations should take care of BEFORE setting up an OSPO? (e.g organizational culture, open source project audit, existing procurements, and regulations, etc)
- How is the OSPO organized and staffed?
- Examples of how OSPOs work with policymakers and security teams in the EU?
- What are the biggest successes and challenges of the OSPO?

Each of these areas presents its own set of strategic considerations that can serve as transition paths to successful OSPO adoption.

Join us for a deep dive into the practical steps organizations can take to build an OSPO.

Panel Lead:
- Ana Jimenez - TODO Group, Linux Foundation

Panellists:
- Jonas van den Bogaard - Alliander OSPO
- Karel Rietveld - Dutch Tax and Customs Administration OSPO
- Cornelius Schumacher - Deutsche Bahn OSPO
- Alexander Butzlaff - Bundesdruckerei OSPO
- Wolfgang Gehring - Mercedes Benz Tech Innovation OSPO

Working as the TODO Group OSPO Program Manager at The Linux Foundation (Based in Europe 🇪🇺), advocating for Open Source Program Office adoption and education across organizations worldwide. Formerly at Bitergia, Software Development Analytics firm. MS in Data Science at URJC.

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Cornelius Schumacher is a long-time contributor and leader in the open source community. He has worked on a variety of projects, from volunteer-driven to enterprise. Originally a developer, he has moved into topics of governance, open source compliance, and how to run open source projects well. Cornelius Schumacher works as Open Source Steward in the CTO team of DB Systel helping teams to successfully use and contribute to open source.

Dr. Wolfgang Gehring is an ambassador for Open and Inner Source and has been working on enabling and spreading the idea within Mercedes-Benz and its IT-subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Tech Innovation (MBTI). A software engineer by trade, Wolfgang’s goal is to help enable Mercedes-Benz to fully embrace FOSS and become a true Open Source company. He has a passion for communities, leads MBTI’s Open Source Program Office, is a member of the Mercedes-Benz FOSS Center of Competence, and a Director of the Eclipse Foundation.

In his free time, Wolfgang likes to engage in conversations about soccer and is an avid traveler and scuba diver. He calls Albert Einstein’s birth city of Ulm his home in Southern Germany.

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Jonas van den Bogaard is Open Source Office Lead at Alliander, a distribution system operator (DSO) in the Netherlands. Alliander provides reliable, affordable, and accessible energy transport and distribution to a large part of the Netherlands. Open source has proved to be an enabler of innovation and collaboration. It is Jonas' responsibility to ensure open source & innersource initiatives contribute to Alliander's digital strategy and objectives. Jonas takes a leading role in Alliander’s Open Source Program Office (OSPO). Also, he represents Alliander on LF Energy Technical Advisory Council.

After studying teaching and German language and literature, Alexander Butzlaff ended up in the IT industry via detours in marketing and sales. As a consultant for software asset management, he has supported public and private sector customers of all sizes in licensing software, designing processes and tooling issues. As a license manager in Bundesdruckerei's development division, he has been responsible for software licensing in the context of customer projects and products ranging from ID documents to cloud services since 2021. Since August 2022 he has been focusing strategically and operationally on the use and publication of OSS.

Open Source Program Officer at Dutch Tax and Customs Administration