Call for papers
The Open Source Experience conference program is developed based on a call for papers. Speaking submissions are subject to validation by a program committee, which selects the proposals that best meet the program’s objectives. Each year, specific themes or tracks are defined. The program committee is composed of a pool of experts for each track and coordinated by the Open Source Hub of Systematic Paris-Region.
Call for conference submissions opens on April 27th, 2026 |
Program ambitions
2026 central theme: Open source is no longer an option
Open source powers the Internet, clouds, and AI. The question is no longer whether to choose it, but whether to embrace it as the backbone of sovereign digital infrastructure, instead of treating it as a commodity. In a context of increasing regulation and costly dependencies, the challenge is now industrial, sovereign, and human. The building blocks already exist. What is still missing is clarity in the ecosystem: the ability to structure complete value chains, fund them, and grow open ecosystems that can deliver at scale.
In this perspective, the sixth edition of the program is structured around a guiding principle: “Open source in action.” No abstract concepts, but concrete choices where each talk addresses a real-world problem and demonstrates how open source provides a credible, deployable, and measurable answer.
The program will focus on use cases, real-world feedback, live demos, customer testimonials, and concrete metrics, giving voice to a diversity of stakeholders: CIOs, decision-makers, communities, developers, educators, startups, and large enterprises.
Preference will be given to experience-based talks focused on user challenges and how they were addressed. Innovative perspectives from recognized experts are also expected.
The 6 selected tracks for 2026
- Track 1: Digital sovereignty, governance, and open source economic models
- Track 2: Open infrastructures, cloud, and sovereign platforms
- Track 3: Open AI, models, data, and sovereign ecosystems
- Track 4: Cybersecurity, trust, and open source resilience
- Track 5: Sovereign enterprise application platforms
- Track 6: Open source culture, skills, and careers
Lightning Talks
This year, we will organize Lightning Talks over an afternoon: short presentations of 5 to 10 minutes.
The goal:
- Quickly share an idea, an open-source project, or feedback, focusing on a single key message without going into too much detail.
- Be clear, dynamic, and make people want to learn more.
An open call for Lightning Talk submissions will be launched in September 2026.
Selection process
Step #1 – Submission collection
Submissions will be open from April 27 to June 14, 2026. During this period, speakers submit their proposals via the dedicated platform.
French-speaking speakers are invited to submit in French; all other speakers are invited to submit in English.
Step #2 – CFP closure and initial selection
Program committee members review and evaluate proposals within their assigned track using a 1–5 scoring scale. An initial selection is made. Applicants may be contacted for clarification during the review process.
The program committee reserves the right to reassign a proposal to a more appropriate track and to request adjustments to better align it with the editorial direction of the program.
Step #3 – Final deliberation
In early July 2026, the program committee selects final proposals from those shortlisted in Step #2, based on the editorial direction they wish to give to their track and the number of available slots.
Talks within a track may be organized into sub-tracks. A speaker may be invited to join a roundtable instead of delivering an individual talk.
A full review of selected proposals will be conducted to ensure balance, avoid overrepresentation of any organization, and ensure diversity among speakers.
Once finalized, selected speakers will be contacted and asked to confirm participation. Unselected and waitlisted speakers will also be notified.
Step #4 – Program publication
In late August 2026, the program committee will build the final schedule. Each speaker will be informed of their date and time slot. The program will be published in early September 2026.
Naturally, nothing is ever perfect, and we continuously refine this selection process. Although selection becomes increasingly difficult, our goal remains simple: to offer participants the best possible program.
If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@opensource-experience.com and we will be happy to discuss them with you in more detail.
