The Path to Digital Sovereignty – Kickoff Event of the SDS Network in Bern

Today, on August 28, 2025, the kickoff event of the SDS Network – Sovereign Digital Switzerland took place at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Numerous representatives from politics, public administration, and research shared valuable insights into current projects, challenges, and visions on the path toward greater digital sovereignty in Switzerland. Our colleague Tobias Brunner was on site and reported back from an inspiring morning.

Political and Strategic Perspectives

After the welcome by Matthias Stürmer and Pascal Stöckli from the Institute Public Sector Transformation (IPST), Nationalrat Gerhard Andrey presented the political dimension of digital sovereignty. It became clear: the demand for independence, transparency, and control over digital infrastructures is broadly supported and increasingly urgent.

Further contributions came from Matthias Schmutz of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), and from Dominika Blonski, Data Protection Officer of the Canton of Zurich, who both emphasized the importance of governance and security architecture. Valentina Sulmoni from the Swiss Federal Office for Cybersecurity (BACS) highlighted the contributions of the National Cybersecurity Strategy to strengthening digital sovereignty.

Practical Examples from Federal and Local Authorities

Particularly interesting were the insights into concrete implementations:

• Erica Dubach Spiegler from the Federal Chancellery presented the proof-of-concept “Office Automation with Open Source Software” (BOSS), based on open-source office software.
• Werner Kipfer from the City of Zurich (OIZ) showed how the administration evaluates and pilots open-source solutions to reduce long-term dependency on proprietary systems.

International Impulses from Germany

A highlight of the event was the visit from the German Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS). Managing Director Alexander Pockrandt, Pamela Krosta-Hartl, and Leonhard Kugler presented the key solutions openDesk and openCode. The focus was not only on software but also on strengthening open-source communities and fostering cross-border cooperation in Europe.

Networking and Exchange

The event concluded with a panel discussion and a networking lunch – a valuable opportunity for participants to ask questions and make new connections. Tobias reported on an inspiring atmosphere and a clear message: digital sovereignty in Switzerland is moving from vision to practical implementation.

Official Review by the SDS Network

The SDS Network itself draws a very positive conclusion: more than 200 participants attended the kickoff event in Bern and online. A key outcome was the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Bern University of Applied Sciences (IPST) and the German ZenDiS. The two institutions plan to cooperate closely in the future on openDesk, the OSS Directory, and the planned Sovereignty Check.

All presentations, the event recording, and additional media coverage are publicly available. You can find the detailed review here: 👉 SDS Network Kickoff Event Recap

What does SDS mean?

The official definition of the SDS Network – Sovereign Digital Switzerland is as follows:
“Digital sovereignty of a state or an organization necessarily includes full control over stored and processed data, as well as the independent decision about who may access it. It also encompasses the ability to independently develop, modify, control, and complement technological components and systems with other components.”

VSHN and Servala – The Sovereign App Store

For VSHN, digital sovereignty has been a key topic for many years. With Servala, our Sovereign App Store, we provide a platform where enterprises and public institutions can instantly and securely consume dozens of open-source services as managed services – with full control over data, infrastructure, and compliance. Servala combines the principles of digital sovereignty with the flexibility of modern cloud and DevOps technologies, making open source easy to use.

👉 Learn more about Servala here: www.servala.com