Who we are
DigitalHub.SH is Schleswig-Holstein’s innovation hub for open, secure and sustainable digital solutions.
We connect public institutions, non-profits and digital companies to jointly develop open source software that reduces dependencies and strengthens digital sovereignty across the state.
As part of Schleswig-Holstein’s digital strategy, initiated by the State Chancellery and operated by WTSH, we extend the state’s open source and open innovation approach into practice — building an ecosystem where public needs, technical expertise and shared resources come together.
Our mission: make the benefits of open source visible, scalable and accessible across sectors.
Who we work with
Public Institutions
We support public institutions such as ministries, municipalities, agencies and other public bodies in Schleswig-Holstein. For them, we provide strategic advice on open source and digital sovereignty, help define requirements for digital projects and support them in finding suitable partners and funding opportunities.
Non-Profits
We work with non-profits and associations that want to simplify their daily work with secure, affordable and privacy-friendly digital tools. This includes charities, clubs, welfare organisations and other civil-society actors who manage members, volunteers, events or donations.
Digital Companies
We collaborate with digital companies from Schleswig-Holstein. These companies can bring their expertise in open source, digital administration, data, AI, security and process automation into concrete projects with public and non-profit organisations and gain valuable references in a progressive federal state.
How we drive open innovation
We bring the state's digital strategy to life and extend it across the region through hands-on collaboration.
We make open source tangible:
- consulting public administration and businesses at all levels, from strategic advice to project requirements,
- hosting community events to connect actors,
- and offering workshops for administration, companies and non-profits to build practical skills.
We’re building a self-sustaining open source ecosystem by linking into existing regional networks and fostering momentum that rolls out organically — connecting needs with expertise across sectors.
Central to this is the Landesprogramm Offene Innovation, a state-funded initiative with over €6 million invested.
Public institutions and non-profits define their needs and solution ideas, digital companies confirm technical feasibility, and submissions are funded by the state upon success. DigitalHub.SH supports with partner matching and process guidance. Results must be open source and reusable across Germany.
|
How it works in practice:
|
Read the stories behind our projects
Open source made in Schleswig-Holstein
The state administration leads by example and publishes all code from state administration from its transitioning to open solutions (e.g., email, data exchange, telephony) on openCode.de (GitLab-based), as the central platform for public administration — avoiding parallel structures and ensuring solutions where others already search and build upon them.
Also projects from the Landesprogramm Offene Innovation are bundled in the dedicated Schleswig-Holstein Group, making them visible, documented and ready for reuse: with installation guides, security concepts, barrier-free design, approved open licenses, tenant capability and reproducible builds — all mandatory for funded outcomes.
DigitalHub.SH supports teams with discoverability (e.g., clear READMEs, logos) and maintenance for true scalability.
Experience open source made in Schleswig-Holstein:
GitLab/openCode
Why Schleswig-Holstein takes this path
Schleswig-Holstein has made a clear choice: digital sovereignty through open source and open innovation. As the first German state to adopt an “open source first” strategy for its public administration, it is systematically moving away from closed, proprietary systems and towards open, adaptable solutions that the public sector can truly control – guided by the principle "public money, public code".
With the Open Source Program Office Schleswig-Holstein (OSPO SH) and the state’s Digital Strategy 2026, open source is no longer a niche topic – it is core infrastructure. The goal: software that is transparent, secure and reusable, instead of one-off projects and vendor lock-in.
Read the current strategy papers (German):
A model for international partners
Open source is never done alone. Schleswig-Holstein’s approach is open by design and open for collaboration. Whether you’re a public authority, research organisation or open source company, we invite you to explore joint projects and knowledge exchange.
Let’s connect and make digital sovereignty a shared European reality.
Date & Events
Dates
More details on our German site: Digitalhub.SH