What to expect from OpenUK’s State of Open Con 2025
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.
State of Open Con, now in its third year, will provide a destination for policymakers, regulators and government experts to join with those in software and technology development and business to drive 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 include oen 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.
Open hardware – covering open source hardware issues including licensing, data centre deployment and efficiency, open silicon, radio technology and the RISC-V specification.
Open data – covering open data, including the role that data plays in AI. Open finance – covering the role of open source in finance and banking. 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
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.
AI Openness
The AI openness section will cover developments to date and future of AI openness, looking at the technology itself, the role of open technologies and open approaches in delivering AI from a policy and practical perspective. Importantly, this track is chaired by Amanda Brock of OpenUK.
“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 Brock in her role as 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.”
Lee Fulmer, senior advisor at McKinsey and co-chair of the open finance track at the event has said that 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 Fulmer.
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.
