About the Centre for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS GmbH)

ZenDiS was founded in December 2022 in response to the growing need for increased digital autonomy in the public sector. Its establishment marked an important step in the implementation of the German government’s digital strategy and followed on the heels of a strategic market analysis commissioned by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) in 2019, which had revealed critical dependencies on individual technology providers.

Our goal is to serve as a centre of excellence while ensuring the availability of modern, powerful and scalable open-source software (OSS). We work on driving the promotion, development and provision of OSS alternatives.

Taking the reins of the development of openDesk in early 2024 was a milestone in our young history. This project underscores our commitment to creating specific solutions for a sovereign digital infrastructure in the public sector.

Our flagship product: openDesk

openDesk embodies our mission to lay the foundation for autonomous and effective digital administration in Germany and Europe by promoting digital independence while enabling modern workflows.

Open Source: the key to our digital future

As the central coordinating body for open-source initiatives in the German public sector, ZenDiS takes a holistic approach based on three pillars:

1. Strategic coordination and development

  • We coordinate efforts to fortify digital autonomy at all administrative levels.
  • We develop and provide demand-driven OSS solutions for public administration.
  • We aggregate the needs of the public sector to develop tailored solutions.

2. Promotion and networking

  • We consult on and promote the networking of OSS projects in the public sector.
  • Together with trustworthy partners, we ensure our solutions operate reliably.

3. Responsibility for key projects

  • ZenDiS is responsible for key initiatives such as the Open CoDE OS platform and the further development of the Sovereign Workplace.
  • We strive to ensure open-source software is continually developed in alignment with public sector requirements.

Our goal is to support the organisational capacities of IT in public administration and create an independent, innovative, and sustainable digital infrastructure.

ZenDiS: Made in Germany, with Europe in mind

ZenDiS is currently a wholly owned federal limited liability company with the prospect of becoming a federal-state corporation, a structure which underlines our commitment to close collaboration between federal and state authorities in the area of digital autonomy.

Our work is rooted in Germany, yet it already extends far beyond our national borders. We’re working closely with our European partners to set standards for digital sovereignty.

In doing so, ZenDiS is playing its role in the creation of a modern, independent, future-proof digital infrastructure - both in Germany and in the EU.