On 10 June 2025, The European Open Source Business Association APELL hosted its yearly conference in Warsaw, gathering representatives of national associations, local open source community and open source companies’ representatives to discuss the intersection of digital transformation and open technologies. Paula Grzegorzewska, Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at Linux Foundation Europe and a Poland’s native, held a presentation about Poland’s open source opportunity in the context of the latest national Digital Strategy which for the first time includes open source as one its strategic dimensions. You can find the recap of the event and slides of the presentations here.
Poland is undergoing rapid digital change and is home to a dynamic IT services sector, which offers a unique ground and untapped potential for open innovation. Additionally, the public sector has produced some effective digital services, and citizens’ attitudes towards digitalisation are strikingly positive, more so than in most EU countries. At the same time, Poland scores below average in key areas such as innovation investment, enterprise digital intensity, and digital skills. In particular, the country has lacked a structured approach to open source, despite its potential to support economic resilience, reduce dependency on proprietary vendors and boost technological sovereignty.
Research shows almost no institutional engagement with open source in Poland in the past ten years, especially on the policy level. While the government had shown interest in open data initiatives, open source policy remained absent.
The landscape began to shift with the release of Poland’s new Digital Strategy 2035, which for the first time addresses open source on a strategic level. It outlines goals such as the increased use of open source in public administration, the development of national repositories, funding mechanisms for companies and developers, and the creation of a government Open Source Program Office (OSPO).
The Strategy was discussed more in detail at the event organised by OpenForum Europe in Warsaw the following day, under auspices of the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU. Representatives of the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed their open source ambitions in the dedicated panel and the willingness to collaborate with various industry, civil society and governmental stakeholders. Moreover, cybersecurity and the strategic role of open source in the geopolitical context were discussed, as well as funding strategies for digital infrastructures and reducing dependencies on external technology providers. The event is part of the series of conferences held in capitals of the countries hosting the presidency of the Council of the EU, focusing on their specific challenges and opportunities regarding open technologies. The next event will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This is yet another sign of European governments increasing their strategic involvement with open source, such as Germany’s ZenDiS or the EDIC for Digital Commons launched by the Netherlands, France, Estonia, and Germany. They all are exploring open source as one of the ways of increasing technological independence and boosting their digital capacity.
LF Europe Member Summit - October 28, Ghent, Belgium
CFP Open: LF Europe Roadshow - October 29, Ghent, Belgium
Share your expertise at the Linux Foundation Europe Roadshow on 29 October 2025 in Ghent, Belgium! This event connects the open source community with policymakers to discuss the impact of EU digital regulations. We are seeking proposals on topics including:
The deadline for submissions is 11 August.