In 2026, the platforms powering our public services are more than software—they are the "unseen constitutions" of modern society. When these platforms are proprietary or "black-box," we lose the ability to audit, adapt, and govern. Digital Sovereignty is no longer a luxury for the paranoid; it is the baseline for the prepared.
While global tech monopolies move toward closed-loop AI and restrictive SaaS models, Europe has pivoted, leading the charge in defining Open Source as essential "Public Digital Infrastructure." This session explores how Drupal serves as the premier engine for this sovereign future. By combining a global "hive-mind" of innovation with a radical transparency model—the Drupal Contribution Credit system—we have created a blueprint for autonomy that others are now rushing to emulate.
We will discuss:
The Sovereign Advantage: Why "owning the code" is the only way to ensure public services remain accountable and free from vendor "kill switches."
The Meritocracy of the Commons: How Drupal’s Credit system allows governments to verify the health of their ecosystem and invest in the people actually doing the work.
Empowering the Ecosystem: How governments can solve their biggest tech challenges by ditching "Big Tech" dependency in favor of a resilient network of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).
If we don't own the blueprint of our digital roads and bridges, we cannot repair them. Join us to learn why the Drupal model is the world’s most successful experiment in collective sovereignty—and how we can use it to build a digital future we can actually trust.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the strategic shift in Europe toward sovereign, open-source stacks.
Evaluate how the Drupal Credit system provides a "Sovereignty Score" for your tech ecosystem.
Identify procurement strategies that favor local SME innovation over proprietary lock-in.
