The Importance of Open Source Software for Digital Sovereignty, Research and Europe Overall
Abstract
The talk gives an overview about the current trends in IT and Cloud Computing and the explains why Open Source software is essential to protect privacy, sovereignty and security especially in research. It also covers how GAIA-X, Nextcloud and other Open Source projects can help to achieve that.
Biography
Frank Karlitschek studied computer science at the University of Tübingen. He is a long time open source developer and former board member of the KDE e.V. In 2016 he founded Nextcloud to create a fully open source and decentralized alternative to big centralized US cloud companies. In 2012 he initiated the User Data Manifesto to define basic human rights regarding personal data. Frank was an invited expert at the W3C to help to create the ActivityPub internet standard.
Frank has spoken at MIT, CERN, Harvard and ETH and keynoted several conferences. Frank is the founder and CEO of Nextcloud GmbH. He is also a fellow of Open Forum Europe and an advisor to the United Nations regarding Intellectual Property and Open Source.