The UK organisation for the business of Open Technology

OpenUK’s State of Open Con returns in 2025, covering future challenges for AI, innovation and open source

Third year of globally leading open technology conference bringing the Bay Area to London taking place at Convene St Pauls to highlight latest developments in Open Source Software and Security, Open Hardware, Open Data, Mobile, Open Finance and AI openness

London, UK – 4th December 2024 – OpenUK, the non-profit organisation representing the UK’s Open Technology sector, confirmed its State of Open Con 2025 will take place on 4th and 5th February 2025 at Convene Sancroft St. Pauls in London. The conference will cover two plenary sessions and seven tracks of content across open source software, open hardware, open data and AI topics, bringing together leading figures in open technology to one place for learning, skills development and knowledge sharing.

State of Open Con, now in its third year, will provide a destination for policymakers, regulators and government experts to join with those at the cutting edge of software and technology development and business to turbo charge understanding of the impact policy decisions have, as well as how they  the future for the industry in the UK and globally can be shaped.

The tracks for the event are:

• Open source software and security

• • • Covering best practices in software development, tooling and delivery, as well as software security, memory safe software languages and the future for delivering secure software
    • Track chaired by Nick Jones, Nscale and Andrew Martin, ControlPlane; hosted by Liz Rice, Cisco/Isovalent and Rebecca Rumbul, Rust Foundation

• Open hardware

• • • Covering open source hardware issues including licensing, data centre deployment and efficiency, open silicon, radio technology and the RISC-V specification
    • Track chaired by Allison Randall, Software Freedom Conservancy

• Open data

• • • Covering open data, including the role that data plays in AI
    • Track chaired by David Aronchick, Expanso and hosted by Sonia Cooper, Microsoft

• Open finance

• • • Covering the role of open source in finance and banking
    • Takes place on 4th February
    • Track chaired by Ann Schlemmer, Percona and Lee Fulmer, McKinsey

•  Mobile and communications
  • • Covering the role of open source in the mobile and communications sector including OpenRAN and 5G, telecommunications infrastructure, open standards, real-time communications and open media
    • Takes place on 5th February
    • Track chaired by Nick Allott, Nquiringminds and Dan Jenkins, Nimble Ape

• Future of Open Source

• • • Covering the issues around business, community and sustainability. This track will span license changes and forks, maintenance, funding and public sector reliance on open source, the preparedness of the open source community, the issues facing companies, maintainers and community members and impacts such as geopolitical shifts and AI.
    • Takes place on 4th February
    • Track chaired by Amanda Brock, OpenUK

• AI Openness

• • • Covering developments to date and future of AI openness, looking at the technology itself, the role for open technologies and open approaches in delivering AI from a policy and practical perspective. 
    • Takes place on 5th February
    • Track chaired by Amanda Brock, OpenUK

Goals and ambitions for Open technology

“In 2025, the open technology landscape will evolve rapidly in response to all the changes that have taken place in the industry in the last few years, to meet the new challenges of innovation and to changes in policy across both the UK and internationally. As the political landscape develops and there is more pressure on both technology companies and on individuals to deliver, we have to look at the principles that we have in place around open. We have to ensure that innovations serve the needs of those that use technology as well as supporting the maintainers and contributors who develop the critical software that is at the heart of our digital infrastructures and on which all rely,” commented Amanda Brock, CEO of OpenUK.

“One of the great things about State of Open Con is that nobody pays to speak – all those who speak merit our attention and will be true voices of open tech. To be part of that, anyone can submit to our Call for Papers and be considered,” continued Brock. “We encourage everyone to get involved and submit their thoughts, and to volunteer for the event as well where they can.”

“State of Open Con is the one place where all the brightest people in the open community come together to share ideas, challenge preconceptions and network. Presenting my ideas at last year’s conference was a brilliant experience that helped lead to the role I now have chairing the Finance Advisory Board of OpenUK and co-chairing the Finance track for SOOCon25. I was nervous putting my own proposal in last year, thinking it was just common sense, but I couldn’t have had a better reception from the community and I made lots of interesting connections. If you have an idea you think could make an impact, don’t assume someone’s already thought of it, put it in now,” said Lee Fulmer, Senior Advisor, McKinsey and Co-Chair of the Open Finance track at the event.

“For the past couple of years, the organizers of State of Open Con have thoughtfully brought together a diverse group of people passionate about learning and sharing within a community that promotes open source. This year’s track dedicated to open source in Finance makes sense given London is a central hub for all things Banking and Finance. As co-chair of the finance track, I encourage finance professionals, technicians, and innovators to submit a talk to share their ideas and knowledge with others. I guarantee you will get back even more than you give to this community,” said Ann Schlemmer, CEO at Percona and Co-Chair of the Open Finance track. 

“One of the most powerful things about open source is that it brings together people from across disciplines and across the world. In the very near future, we have both challenges and opportunities that are far larger than any one person or one organization can handle. Building in the open, with open sources and open data, is critical if we want to unlock the best possible future for everyone,” commented David Aronchick, Co-chair of the Open Data Committee and CEO at Expanso.

The Call For Papers at State of Open Con will be open until 11:59pm UK on 8th December 2024. The CFP track chairs and hosts will choose the best of the entries and use them as part of the two days of curated content. For more details and to put forward a suggestion, visit https://sessionize.com/state-of-open-con-2025/

About OpenUK

OpenUK is the organisation for the business of Open Technology, being Open Source Software, Open Source Hardware, Open Data, Open Standards and AI Openness across the UK. Its purpose is UK leadership and global collaboration in Open Technology. OpenUK works on three pillars: Community, Legal and Policy and Learning. 

In 2025 OpenUK will focus on AI, Skills, Public sector use of open technology and Sustainability. Its annual conference State of Open Con will take place on 4 and 5 February in London.

OpenUK is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, company number 11209475.

Twitter: @openuk_uk

Mastodon: https://hachyderm.io/@openuk

LinkedIn: openukopentechnology

Website: openuk.uk