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DOSBA: the go-to authority for open source in the Netherlands
The Netherlands finally has a trade association for open source companies: DOSBA – the Dutch Open Source Business Alliance. The organisation unites forces, represents open source companies, and acts as a central contact point for the government and public sector.
Why DOSBA?
With the establishment of DOSBA, open source in the Netherlands now has a face. The organisation aims to:
- Professionalise open source software (OSS) within the Dutch IT landscape.
- Strengthen the position of OSS companies, both nationally and across Europe.
- Lobby with the government and the EU, in cooperation with APELL.
- Represent and increase visibility of open source initiatives.
- Educate and raise awareness about the benefits of open source.
Boris van Hoytema (Open Source Programme Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations) once said it well: “We need the phone number of Open Source.” DOSBA has become that number.
Kick-off meeting
During the kick-off on 16 January 2025 in Nieuwegein, speakers such as Boris van Hoytema and Sebastian Raible (APELL) talked about legislation, advocacy, and the role of open source in Europe. A key moment: APELL membership was transferred from NLUUG to DOSBA. This makes DOSBA the European representative as well.
Official founding of DOSBA
On 20 March 2025, the official founding of DOSBA took place at SUE in Geldermalsen. The event was opened by Eva van Sloten (Opensource Werken), who emphasised the importance of open source within the government. The founders — Emiel Brok, Ronny Lam, Pieter Izeboud and Marcel Kornegoor — presented DOSBA’s mission and plans. A key focus point is the creation of working groups, including Marketing & Visibility and Public Procurement. Membership terms were also discussed.
More than 30 participants joined the conversation, and 15 companies immediately expressed interest in becoming a member. Ronny Lam closed the session with a powerful presentation on digital sovereignty in light of the current geopolitical situation. His call for European IT solutions strongly resonated. DOSBA has started with a lot of positive energy. The open source momentum is clearly tangible.
DOSBA website
At db8 Website Support, we strongly believe in the power of open source. We use Linux daily as our primary operating system and build websites with the powerful open source CMS Joomla. Our commitment to open source aligns perfectly with DOSBA’s mission. That’s why we fully support this initiative and are proud to have developed the DOSBA website and to offer ongoing support in the DOSBA Website Working Group: https://dosba.nl
