Open Source Observatory Newsletter
   

Banner newsletter 4
In the March issue

Open Source Horizons: Tools for Citizens

As spring blooms across Europe, so does the open source movement, reshaping technology and strengthening our communities. This month, we’re seeing how collaborative digital tools are making public services more accessible, enhancing democracy, and even preserving culture in new and exciting ways.

But before we start, we are inviting you to join our newly announced online webinar on the role of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) in transforming public services with open source on 22 May 2025. 

Back to this month news, Code for Romania has launched Vot Diaspora, a simple yet powerful platform designed to help Romanians living abroad navigate the voting process. With step-by-step guidance and polling station information, the tool makes elections more transparent and accessible for citizens everywhere.

Meanwhile, in Galicia, the government is making open source more approachable with its 2025 Free Software Action Plan. Through workshops and community events, they’re helping government offices, businesses, and everyday users integrate open source solutions into their work and daily lives.

Over in Sweden, history lovers have something to celebrate. The National Archives have introduced HTRflow, an AI-powered tool that can read centuries-old handwritten documents. Trained specifically on Swedish handwriting, it unlocks historical records that were once difficult to access, making them searchable for historians and the public alike.

Museums are also embracing open source innovation. The MuMo project, which started at Antwerp’s Fashion Museum, provides an affordable way for museums to monitor conditions like temperature and humidity—critical for preserving artefacts. Using internet-connected sensors and open source software available on GitHub, museums anywhere can implement the system and protect their collections.

On the governance front, the Open Source Business Alliance has published new guidelines to help public administrations procure sustainable open source software, ensuring long-term, transparent, and efficient digital solutions.

And in Ireland, the Open Ireland Network is fostering collaboration between government officials and tech communities to improve public services through open source technology.

And to finish this month’s newsletter, we published a new case study about the Trufi Association why is using open source technology to improve urban mobility worldwide. By developing open source solutions for public transport navigation, Trufi helps cities create more accessible and efficient transport systems. This approach supports both global and local transit needs, making travel easier for communities everywhere.

These initiatives show just how powerful open source can be in shaping the future of public services, culture, and governance. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories next month!

The OSOR Team

Latest News

OSBA's Guidelines for Sustainable Open Source Software Procurement

The Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA), a trade association representing Germany's open source industry, has published a comprehensive position paper addressing the sustainable procurement of open source software in public administration.

 
more
 

Galician Free Software Office publishes its three levels action plan for 2025

On 17 February 2025, Galicia adopted their latest Free Software Action Plan for 2025 (Plan de Acción Software Libre 2025) and published their progress report of 2024. Both documents show the compromise and proactiveness of Galicia’s public administration to promote the use and development of open source software in business, public sector and fo...

 
more
 

The MuMo project: an open source initiative for environmental conditions' museum monitoring

The MuMo project is an initiative that uses open source solutions (OSS) designed to provide an easy-to-set-up platform for monitoring environmental conditions using multiple sensors that are connected via Internet of Things (IoT).

 
more
 

Swedish National Archives Releases Open Software for Handwritten Document Transcription

The Swedish National Archives (Riksarkivet) has unveiled a new open source solution for transcribing handwritten historical documents, addressing an important cultural challenge for organisations dealing with archival materials.

 
more
 

Open Ireland Network and the Irish Public Sector

Open Ireland Network (OIN) is implementing a “Community of Practice” for open source (OS) practitioners in the Irish public service. This community aims to foster a collaborative environment where government professionals can share knowledge, tools, best practices, and innovation related to OS technologies.

 
more
 

Romanian open source digital solution(s) to promote electoral transparency in Romania and beyond

After Romania cancelled its Presidential elections in December 2024, following allegations of Russian interference, the importance of transparency and openness in the European election process became even more irrefutable. Vot Diaspora, a digital platform and an ultimate guide for Romanian citizens abroad to vote in the elections, is one of the ins...

 
more
 

Upcoming Events

OSOR Webinar : Exploring the role of OSPOs

On 22 May 2025 from 10 am to 12 pm CEST, join us for an insightful session on the role of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) in transforming the European public sector. During the session, you will learn about the European Commission’s OSPO and key insights on how OSPOs enable the adoption, development, and collaboration on open source.

Permalink
permalink Main URL
Date
date 22/05/2025

Drupal Dev Days 2025

Drupal Developer Days 2025 is set to take place from 15 to 18 April at the KULeuven Technology Campus in Leuven, Belgium. As the 14th annual European gathering for Drupal enthusiasts, the event offers a range of technical sessions led by experts, covering topics such as artificial intelligence, backend architecture, frontend frameworks, performance optimisation, and security.

Permalink
permalink Main URL
Date
date 15/04/2025 - 18/04/2025

HACK DAYS - IA & Digital workplace

Join tech innovators at ENS Paris to build sovereign, open source collaboration tools! Developers, designers, DevOps and AI experts will create next-generation visio, chat, document and storage solutions over three exciting days. Help shape the future of sustainable digital teamwork!

Permalink
permalink Main URL
Date
date 02/06/2025 - 04/06/2025

Latest Publications

Updated country report on open source software in Estonia

OSOR has published an update to the Estonia Country Intelligence report, highlighting recent trends and developments in the use of open source software (OSS) in the country. This update report outlines the evolution in the use of OSS by the Estonian public sector since 2021, examining how Estonia has reinforced its commitment to open source solutions as part of its broader digital strategy.

 
more
 

Open Source globally and locally: Trufi supporting better mobility

OSOR published a new case study on the work done by the Trufi association. It examines the uniquely international and community-based development model that was created by the Trufi association, and how it used open source to connect local European administrations with international counterparts in the development of intermodal mobility solutions.

 
more
 
View all studies

Solution of the Month

Database Preservation Toolkit

Released this month, DBPTK Developer is a library and command-line tool for execution of database preservation actions.

 
more
 
The European Commission’s Open Source Observatory is part of the Interoperable Europe initiative under the Digital Europe Programme for a reinforced interoperability policy in the public sector.
TwitterFollow @osoreu on Twitter OSORJoin the OSOR community on Joinup
OSOR Knowledge Centre EUPL EUPL

If you received this newsletter and want to follow us, please subscribe here. If you want to unsubscribe or change your newsletter settings, then please update your profile.