“Boosting Digital Sovereignty” – Academic Conference on Open Web Data and Europe’s Independence on the Web | Media Release

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From October 7 to 9, the Open Search Foundation, with support from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will bring together interdisciplinary experts in Berlin to discuss the future of web search and AI.

Starnberg, September 29, 2026 – Web data is a key resource for AI training and independent web search. But how can Europe build an open, independent, and diverse web infrastructure? The Open Search Symposium #ossym2026 is dedicated to this central question. Experts from the fields of computer science, law, ethics, economics, and civil society will gather at CODE University of Applied Sciences in Berlin to discuss developments surrounding a European infrastructure for web search and AI. The program includes keynote speeches, academic presentations,panel discussions, and workshops. Topics to be addressed include:

  • Open Web Indexes
  • Federated search and search quality
  • Large language models, generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation
  • Georeferencing of web content, as well as geospatial search and analysis
  • Sustainability and legal, ethical, and social issues

related to Internet search and web data.

Keynote speakers include Prof. Dr. Julian Kunkel (GWDG and professor at the
University of Göttingen), Stefan Andresen (Chief Scientist at DeepL), Prof. Dr. Hannes
Taubenböck (DLR), and Aline Blankertz (co-founder of the digital policy collective
Structural Integrity). The opening address will be delivered by Engelbert Beyer, Director General at the
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. The subsequent opening session
will be led by Peter Gehle, CIO of the DLR; on Wednesday evening, a welcome address will be given by
Stéphane Beemelmans, Deputy Chairman of the DLR Executive Board.

Evening Side Event at the Weizenbaum Institute

On the evening of October 8, a German-language panel discussion followed by a networking dinner will take place at the Weizenbaum Institute in Berlin. Under the title “Sovereignty on the Web – How a European Web Data Infrastructure”, political, economic, and societal perspectives on an
independent digital infrastructure will be highlighted. In addition to a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Harald Wehnes (University of Würzburg), the panel will feature Stefan Andresen (Chief Scientist at DeepL), Dr. Esther Görnemann (Weizenbaum Institute), and Dr. Stefan Voigt (Open Search Foundation).

Information and Registration

#ossym2026 will take place in Berlin from October 7 to 9, 2026. The event is organized by the Open Search Foundation – 2026 with support from the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The venue is CODE University of Applied Sciences (Donaustr. 44, 12043 Berlin).

Detailed information and the registration link are available at:
https://opensearchfoundation.org/de/events-d/ossym26-de/

Registration for the evening event at the Weizenbaum Institute is handled separately:
https://tickets.weizenbaum-institut.de/OSF/

Journalists and media representatives are cordially invited to attend both events. Experts from the fields of
science and research will be available for interviews and background discussions. If you have any questions or are interested in scheduling an interview, please feel free to contact the press contacts listed below.

About the Organizer:

The Open Search Foundation e.V. (OSF) coordinates a European initiative that lays the groundwork for independent, free, and self-determined access to information on the Internet. In collaboration with research institutions, data centers, and other partners, it is committed to ensuring that web search benefits everyone. As part of a research project funded by Horizon Europe, a prototype of Europe’s first open web index was developed. The OSF’s institutional members include the University of Passau, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Institute for Human-Centered Computing (HCC) at Graz University of Technology, and the Finnish supercomputing center CSC – IT Center for Science.

About the DLR:

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is the research center of the Federal Republic of Germany for aerospace. Research on digitalization at the DLR drives innovation in the economy, helps shape application-oriented innovative technologies, methods, and processes, and applies them to research and science management. As a strategic partner, the DLR works together with industry, government agencies, and institutions to develop solutions that drive innovation – for a strong, sustainable future in Germany and Europe.

Press Contact:

Open Search Foundation e.V.
Carolin Bauer – Science Communication & Public Relations
Ursula Gmelch – Community Management; Project Manager for ossym2026
Phone: +49 178 60 149 10
Email:

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Fighting the Search Monopoly with an Open Source Index: An Interview with Michael Granitzer from OpenWebSearch | Reset Digital for Good

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In a recent interview with Reset Digital for Good, Prof. Dr. Michael Granitzer, Chair of Data Science at the University of Passau and project manager of our recently completed OpenWebSearch.EU project, provided insights into the significance of the Open Web Index, which was developed in the project.

„Our mission is to break up the silo of a single search engine. (…) We’re doing this by crawling the web, collecting web pages, and preparing them to be consumed by search engines. Preparing them involves cleaning advertisements and navigation links, then extracting the main content. This index can be used by individuals or organisations to build their own search engines.“ states Michael.

While scaling up to compete with monopolies such as Google would require enormous resources, Michael believes that a community-oriented project could complement traditional and AI search as a public good. He envisions a future in which small AI models enable users to search for and combine information from various sources, independently of large technology companies.

In the future, societies will be shaped by humans and models working closely together

„In an ideal scenario, the AI model is running on my machine and controlling my data. It’s a tool that helps me, conducts searches on my behalf and understands what I want to do. I’m talking about small language models rather than large language models. A model that helps me search, aggregate and synthesise information based on search endpoints that I choose.“, he states

You can read the full interview here: https://en.reset.org/fighting-the-search-monopoly-with-an-open-source-index-an-interview-with-michael-granitzer-from-openwebsearch/

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“Wo bleibt das europäische Google oder Facebook?” | arte.tv

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Our OpenWebSearch.EU project was recently featured in a German arte.tv report about European alternatives to overseas BigTech web services.

The video highlights our commitment to strengthening European digital sovereignty in the world wide web.
The report provides insights from Prof. Dr. Ir. Djoerd Hiemstra, Professor of Federated Search and Head of the Information Retrieval research group at Radboud University, one of the OpenWebSearch.EU consortium partners. Djoerd introduced the Open Web Index in its current state and the role it could play in creating powerful European search solutions.
Skip to minute 4:16 to hear Djoerd‘s insights:

Alternatively, watch the video directly on Arte.tv: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/121620-127-A/wo-bleibt-das-europaeische-google-oder-facebook/

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Jetzt oder nie: Europas digitale Unabhängigkeit | change magazin

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Stefan Voigt, board member of the OpenSearchFoundation and spokesperson for the OpenWebSearch.eu project, emphasizes the importance of a democratic, independent, and public web search in Europe in an interview with the German Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Change Magazine.

Europe’s digital dependence on the U.S. is particularly evident in everyday life: whether it’s Amazon, WhatsApp, or Apple Pay, the use of U.S. services highlights Europe’s digital vulnerability. This realization has given rise to initiatives such as EuroStack and the OpenWebSearch.eu project, which aim to achieve digital independence for Europe.

“We have a mammoth task ahead of us. But I am convinced that we will be able to create alternatives in Europe,” says Stefan Voigt.

 

You can find the full German article here.

Alternatively, you can download the German Change Magazine directly here.

 

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„Google owns the queries, but Europe wants its search infrastructure back“ I EU Perspectives

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The online magazine European Perspectives recently interviewed our OSF board member, Dr. Stefan Voigt, about the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative.

According to the magazine, based on the latest data, nearly nine out of ten internet searches queries from Europe are processed by U.S. technology companies such as Google and Microsoft. This heavy reliance on overseas infrastructure is also due to the lack of European alternatives.

To address this, the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative funded by the Horizon Europe project of the same name has developed an OpenWebIndex. This webindex is a crucial step toward reclaiming sovereign access to indexing and accessing online information. Dr. Stefan Voigt, board member of the OpenSearchFoundation and OWS spokesperson, highlights the project’s urgency and significance for Europe’s digital future.

“The web is meant to be a public thing. We want to relate it back to the public”, he states, emphasizing the need for Europe to secure its digital autonomy.

You can read the full article here: https://euperspectives.eu/2025/11/is-open-search-the-path-to-european-digital-sovereignity/

 

 

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Merkur: ‘Starnberg Initiative launches charter: Internet search as critical infrastructure’

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“Erkämpft und verhasst – Die Geschichte des Datenschutzes” | BR Radiowissen

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“Census, no way!” is the title of the BR podcast “Erkämpft und verhasst – Die Geschichte des Datenschutzes” (Hard-won and hated – The history of data protection), which deals with the history of data protection in its episode dated August 22, 2025.

Why a census in Germany in 1987 sparked waves of protest, what this had to do with data protection, and what data protection looks like in the digital age – author Stefan Foag discusses these topics and much more for the German podcast BR Radiowissen.

But let’s go back to the beginning: a protest by concerned citizens in response to the historic census in 1987 got the whole thing started in Germany. Issues such as data protection and the right to informational self-determination were critically examined and publicly questioned in the context of German history.

Concerns about data protection have now become a very prominent issue worldwide, with the European Union playing a particularly important role. The development of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and case law on the responsibility of large tech companies have set decisive milestones in this area. Today, however, the shift in surveillance from state institutions to digital companies is causing particular concern and resistance.

Leopold Beer, lawyer and employee of the Open Search Foundation, was interviewed on this topic. He explains how Europe, as a central market for digital solutions, can become a global pioneer in the regulation of data protection law through the so-called “Brussels effect.” An important step in this direction is the OpenWebSearch.Eu project with its specially developed Open Web Index. It aims to meet legal and ethical requirements in the best possible way and thus develop the basis for a European, data protection-friendly search engine.

You can find the entire episode here: https://www.ardsounds.de/episode/urn:ard:episode:9df03c9454d8baa6/

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7th International Open Search Symposium #ossym25 at CSC – IT Center for Science in Helsinki | Media release

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Open web search for Europe: The Open Web Index as an alternative to Google | Podcast Deutschlandfunk Kultur

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What does a European, independent search infrastructure look like – beyond the ubiquitous Google search? This is precisely the subject of the Deutschlandfunk Kultur report, in which our project plays a prominent role.

In a short guest comment, Dr. Stefan Voigt from the board of the Open Search Foundation characterizes the concept of the Open Web Search Initiative as follows
“To inspire Europe to build its own web search infrastructure – based on a publicly accessible web index on which a wide variety of search engines and front-ends can be created.”

Journalist Stefan Mey discusses the Open Web Index as a foundational technology for a European sovereign web infrastructure in the podcast.
Google’s quasi-monopoly and the failure of alternative providers to date highlight the need for new solutions.

The independent index should serve as a basis for AI training and as a partner index for search engines.
It’ll form a landscape of different providers from universal search engines to specialized search engines on “nerd topics”.

The podcast also discusses the current status of the project, the question of funding and the importance of an open search index as part of Europe’s critical digital infrastructure.

Listen to the whole podcast at Deutschlandfunk:
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/zutritt-verboten-eu-diskutiert-altersbeschraenkungen-fuer-social-media-100.html

By the way: Jan Penfrat from EDRi (European

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“Google is not democratic. It lives off the data of its users” | Interview for HomoDigital

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“Imagine, our streets would have no names and our houses no readable house numbers. Just a cryptic code readable only by machines.”

Dr. Stefan Voigt, Chairman of the OSF Board, explains the mission of the Open Search Foundation and the goal of the Open Web Index project in an interview for the Polish web blog HomoDigital.

He goes into more detail about the challenges and the great importance of the project in current political, social and technological context.

“So one of the main challenges is to inspire people and computing providers to cooperate on this large but socially extremely relevant task and to jointly make public information publicly accessible and usable again.”

Dr. Stefan Voigt is optimistic about a possible paradigm shift away from the current market concentration of large tech companies on the Internet.

The full interview is available on HomoDigital (in Polish) here.

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