EUtechfest | The Hague Tech

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EUtechfest
take control of your digital future

A special edition of TechFest dedicated to digital sovereignty, European technology and the future of digital independence – powered by The Hague Tech.

join us on tuesday, october 27 for EUtechfest!

At EUtechfest, we'll create a unique and interactive program to get you started with European technology, including Dutch solutions, so that together we can become more sovereign and autonomous.

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discover european alternatives to the technology you use every day at EUtechfest

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learn more about the meetups & workshops

program

workshops // meetups

what is techfest by the hague tech?

TechFest is The Hague Tech's returning festival of technology, innovation, and collaboration. It brings together entrepreneurs, professionals, students, researchers, policymakers, and anyone curious about the role technology plays in shaping our future.

more about techfest

more about the hague tech

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program

workshops (10:15 - 13:45)

preventing and solving cloud vendor lock-in

all-in-one office suite, 100% european

who owns your digital future? governance as the missing layer of digital sovereignty

private search and private e-mail

soevereiniteit; wat kan ik er morgen zelf aan doen?

the rules of the digital game: a legal pubquiz

tenant in your own house: the wickedness of regaining digital sovereignty over digital public infrastructures

llm with your values: take back control

compliance is eating your roadmap

big tech is your landlord. now what?

build european, keep it european

the exit test: how free are you to leave your cloud?

preventing and solving cloud vendor lock-in

By: Elmer Bulthuis | Platform & Software Architect and Engineer, Owner of LuvDaSun Software

Cloud vendor lock-in can make it difficult and costly for organizations to move their systems, applications, or data to another provider. In this workshop, Elmer Bulthuis explores what cloud vendor lock-in is, why it can become a problem, and how organizations can reduce their dependency on individual cloud providers. Participants will explore practical approaches to preventing vendor lock-in when designing new systems, as well as options for reducing dependency within existing architectures.

Target audience: developers, architects, and founders who want to design and implement more provider-agnostic systems and gain greater control over their technology infrastructure.

all-in-one office suite, 100% european

By: Jan-Willem Menkveld | Co-Owner & Chief Commercial Officer at Office.EU

Office.eu is a European alternative to traditional office software, offering tools for productivity, communication and collaboration with a focus on data sovereignty, security and privacy. In this workshop, Jan-Willem Menkveld introduces the platform and explains how organisations can transition to a European digital workplace. Participants will learn about the migration process, practical considerations and best practices for switching office environments. The session includes a live demonstration of Office.eu and its features.

Target audience: IT decision-makers, IT managers, digital transformation leaders, system administrators, compliance professionals and business leaders.

who owns your digital future? governance as the missing layer of digital sovereignty

By: Neil Smyth | Co-Founder & CEO of Alkemio

Digital sovereignty is not only about where data is hosted or which technology you use. Ownership and governance also determine who ultimately controls the technology an organisation depends on.

In this interactive workshop, Neil Smyth, Co-Founder and CEO of Alkemio, shares Alkemio’s journey towards steward ownership, open-source technology and European hosting. Participants will explore how ownership structures, investors, acquisitions and leadership changes can affect long-term digital autonomy, and learn how to assess these risks within their own organisation and technology suppliers.

Target audience: Founders, technology leaders, policymakers, public-sector leaders, investors, procurement professionals, and anyone responsible for digital sovereignty or strategic technology
choices

private search and private e-mail

By: Alex van Eesteren | Startpage & StartMail

Startpage and StartMail are Dutch digital services offering privacy-focused alternatives to conventional search engines and email providers. In this workshop, Alex van Eesteren introduces both platforms and explains how users can search the web without being tracked and communicate through private email. Participants will learn about online privacy, the risks associated with free email services, and the privacy and phishing protection features offered by Startpage and StartMail. The session includes practical demonstrations of both services.

Target audience: Individuals, entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals interested in online privacy and European alternatives to everyday digital tools. No technical background required.

soevereiniteit; wat kan ik er morgen zelf aan doen?

By: Jeroen Wouda | Open Cloud Alliantie

This Dutch-language workshop is part of a two-part programme organised by the Open Cloud Alliantie (OCA).

Digital sovereignty is often discussed at government and boardroom level, but individual organisations and professionals can also take steps to reduce their technological dependencies.

In this workshop, Jeroen Wouda, Senior Technical Cloud Specialist at Uniserver, explores the practical choices organisations can make regarding their technology and cloud infrastructure. Participants will learn how to identify dependencies and take steps towards greater digital autonomy.

Target audience: anyone who wants to understand what digital sovereignty means in daily practice.

the rules of the digital game: a legal pubquiz

By: Jan Baas and Kimberly Meijs | La Gro

Digital legislation influences how organisations develop, implement and use technology. This interactive legal pub quiz explores European and Dutch laws and regulations relevant to digital autonomy, sovereignty, AI, data protection and cybersecurity.

Through quiz questions based on the EU's digital legislative framework, Dutch cybersecurity legislation and recent court rulings, participants can test their knowledge of the legal requirements affecting businesses and public-sector organisations. The session is hosted by Jan Baas and Kimberly Meijs, members of La Gro's Data & Privacy team, and includes a prize for the winner.

Target audience: Business and public-sector professionals working with AI, data, privacy and digital legislation.

tenant in your own house: the wickedness of regaining digital sovereignty over digital public infrastructures

By Wouter Welling | Programme Director, Digicampus

Growing geopolitical tensions and technological dependencies have made digital sovereignty an increasingly important issue for governments and public institutions. Regaining control over existing digital public infrastructure, however, presents complex technical and organisational challenges.

In this session, Wouter Welling presents findings from research conducted with Prof. Nitesh Bharosa and Prof. Mark de Reuver of TU Delft. The discussion explores two approaches to strengthening digital sovereignty: immediate measures to address existing dependencies (firefighting) and longer-term strategies to develop an ecosystem of more sovereign alternatives (fire prevention).

Target audience: Open to anyone interested in digital sovereignty, public digital infrastructure and government technology.

llm with your values: take back control

By: Giulio Tosato | Co-Owner & CTO, UTF.ai

Hosting an AI model in Europe or running it on local infrastructure doesn't necessarily mean its behaviour reflects European or Dutch public values. The assumptions a model learns during training can influence the answers it provides and the information it prioritises.
In this practical 45-minute workshop, Giulio Tosato explores how organisations can evaluate the values and assumptions behind AI-generated responses and adjust model behaviour. Through concrete examples and a live demonstration on a compact local device, participants will learn which questions to ask when assessing AI sovereignty, beyond data storage and infrastructure.

Target audience: Government organisations, public institutions and professionals involved in AI adoption and governance.

compliance is eating your roadmap

By: Joeri Toet | Founder, Reson8

Europe's digital autonomy depends on its ability to develop software, but growing legal and regulatory requirements can place increasing demands on development teams. Compliance work can lead to delayed features, additional engineering hours, rework and missed opportunities.
In this workshop, Joeri Toet explores the full cost of compliance in software development and introduces practical approaches to meeting legal requirements more efficiently. Participants will learn how to identify hidden compliance costs and consider ways to achieve better protection with fewer delays and resources.
Joeri is the founder of Reson8, a digital legal strategy consultancy based in The Hague. With a background in cybersecurity, law and technology, he has worked at Clifford Chance, De Brauw, Shell and Meta, and lectures at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Target audience: Founders, product leads and software development teams.

big tech is your landlord. now what?

By: Sarah van der Land | Strategic AI Advisor

Many organisations depend on major technology platforms to reach their audiences, distribute content and manage customer data. Changes to algorithms, platform policies or access can significantly affect their ability to communicate and operate independently.
In this hands-on workshop, Sarah van der Land introduces the Rented Land Check, a practical framework for assessing digital dependencies. Through examples from Dutch public broadcaster NPO and the Dutch Journalism Fund (SVDJ), participants will explore alternative approaches to managing audiences and content.
Working in pairs, participants will assess their own channels, content and data, identify where greater control is needed and leave with practical steps towards reducing unwanted dependencies.
Sarah van der Land is a Strategic AI Advisor with nearly 20 years of experience in technology and organisational decision-making, including almost nine years leading AI innovation at NPO.

Target audience: Communicators, marketers, entrepreneurs, leaders and decision-makers who depend on Big Tech platforms. No technical background required.

build european, keep it european

By: Thomas Mooij | Tax Advisor, Archipel Tax Advice

Developing European alternatives to Big Tech also raises questions about corporate ownership, intellectual property and investment. As European technology startups grow, decisions about their legal and financial structures can influence where their technology and the value they create ultimately reside.
In this workshop, Thomas Mooij explores the Amsterdam Flip as an alternative to establishing a US holding company, alongside Dutch incentives for R&D and intellectual property ownership. The session also covers employee equity arrangements and how European startups can structure their businesses to support international growth.
Participants will leave with a practical checklist to consider before their next funding round, helping them make informed decisions about ownership, investment and long-term technological independence.

Target audience: Founders, CTOs and CFOs of European technology startups and scale-ups, international founders considering a European headquarters, and angel investors and venture capital firms.

the exit test: how free are you to leave your cloud?

By: Rendel Hijlkema | Codesphere

Most organisations know they depend on one or multiple cloud provider(s), but few can say how deeply, or what leaving would actually take. In this workshop, Rendel from Codesphere guides participants through the Exit Test: ten questions about one application from their own organisation, from where it runs to what the contract says about leaving. Participants leave with their exit score, three concrete actions for tomorrow, and the questions to put to their IT team or supplier.

The session closes with how the German government runs applications on the Deutschland-Plattform without being tied to a single cloud. Codesphere’s platform makes this possible by decoupling applications from the infrastructure they run on, so the same application runs identically on a sovereign European cloud, a hyperscaler or an organisation’s own data centre. We’ll show what that means in practice, and what it means for your next contract or tender.

Target audience: IT managers, policymakers and procurement professionals who make decisions about software and cloud. No technical knowledge required.

meet-ups (14:00 - 15:00)

ik vertrek!

By:Bart Turk, Sander Winthagen & Corstiaan de Haaij | Open Cloud Alliantie

This Dutch-language workshop is part of a two-part programme organised by the Open Cloud Alliantie (OCA).

An organisation's ability to switch cloud providers is an important aspect of digital sovereignty. Early decisions about cloud architecture can influence how easily systems and data can be moved to another provider. In this hands-on workshop, participants will work with different cloud environments to explore the practical challenges of switching providers. The session covers identifying vendor lock-in, reducing potential migration costs and designing portable cloud systems that support greater technological independence.

Target audience: Students, IT architects, decision-makers, IT managers and anyone interested in testing cloud portability and digital sovereignty.

digital sovereignty: can europe do it alone?

By: Jochem de Groot | Head of Policy & Public Affairs at NLdigital

Europe's dependence on non-European technology providers raises questions about the feasibility of digital sovereignty. Given the interconnected nature of today's digital infrastructure, achieving greater technological independence presents both opportunities and challenges. In this session, Jochem de Groot examines how realistic European digital sovereignty is in the short and longer term. He will discuss the limitations of technological independence, existing international dependencies and potential approaches that take the realities of the global digital landscape into account.

Jochem is Head of Policy & Public Affairs at NLdigital, a member of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) and the Atlantic Commission, and author of Kolonisten van de Cloud, a book about the geopolitical rise of technology companies.
Target audience: Entrepreneurs, policymakers and technology professionals.

EUtechfest x tht moneytalks: ama on investing in a digitally sovereign europe

By: Job de Fijter & Bram Kaashoek | Main Capital Partners

This special edition of THT Money Talks brings together software founders and CEOs with representatives from Main Capital Partners, an international investor specialising in B2B enterprise software.

In this interactive Ask Me Anything session, Job de Fijter and Bram Kaashoek will discuss how digital sovereignty, cybersecurity and technological independence influence investment decisions in the European software market. Participants can ask questions about fundraising, investor expectations, business growth, recurring revenue, international expansion and opportunities for European software companies.

The session is organised as part of EUtechfest in collaboration with THT Money Talks and Nexyz.
Target audience: Software and technology founders and CEOs.

digital autonomous working environment for the public sector

By: Victor Gevers & Jacco Brouwer | VNG

Victor Gevers (Innovation Lead at SSC-ICT) and Jacco Brouwer (VNG) are the driving forces behind the ‘Digital Autonomous Government Working Environment’ initiative. Both are committed to socially responsible digitalisation in the public sector on a daily basis.
In this session, they will guide you through the strategic importance of socially responsible digitalisation in the public sector and demonstrate how the development of the Digital Autonomous Government Working Environment plays a crucial role in this, including a demo of the results and showing how anyone can already make use of it today.

Target audience: Public sector, open source, and digitalisation/large scale change

Victor Gevers (Innovation Lead at SSC-ICT) and Jacco Brouwer (VNG) are the driving forces behind the ‘Digital Autonomous Government Working Environment’ initiative. Both are committed to socially responsible digitalisation in the public sector on a daily basis.

why does the hague tech organize techfest

we can never stop learning about tech

Rather than simply talking about innovation, TechFest is designed to make it tangible. Through hands-on workshops, inspiring talks, debates, demonstrations, and networking opportunities, visitors discover new technologies, exchange ideas, and connect with people from across The Hague's innovation ecosystem.

Every edition is different, but the goal remains the same: bringing people together to explore how technology can create a smarter, more innovative, and more connected future.

the hague tech is made for building connection

At The Hague Tech, we believe innovation happens when people come together. TechFest is our way of creating those moments. So, by bringing tech interested people together, we help spark new ideas, meaningful collaborations, and conversations that continue long after the event is over.

the hague tech

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techfest 2026
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Waldorpstraat 5, The Hague
10:00–17:00 + networking drinks

parking
Parking in the area is very limited. If you plan to come by car, please check parking options in advance or use a nearby parking garage.

bikes

Bikes can be parked in front of the building.

lunch & refreshmentsLunch will be provided during the day. When registering for the program, please let us know if you will be joining for lunch so we can plan accordingly. Drinks will be available throughout the day, with networking drinks at the end.

parking
Parking in the area is very limited. If you plan to come by car, please check parking options in advance or use a nearby parking garage.

bikes

Bikes can be parked in front of t

about the techfest EU edition // EUtechfest

what is digital sovereignty and autonomy?

Think about the tools you use every day. Where do you store your files? Which software do you use for email, documents and meetings? Which AI tools has your team started using?

For many European companies, the answers are Microsoft, Google, Amazon, OpenAI or another non-European technology provider. These tools have made running a business easier, but they’ve also made us increasingly dependent on a relatively small group of companies outside Europe. Digital sovereignty is about having more choice and control over that dependence.

That doesn’t mean you need to be an IT expert. And it certainly doesn’t mean replacing everything tomorrow. But if you’re a founder, manager or decision-maker, it’s worth knowing what your organisation depends on, what the implications are and whether European alternatives could work for you. That’s what EUtechfest is about.

techfest 2026
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Waldorpstraat 5, The Hague
10:00–17:00 + networking drinks

parking
Parking in the area is very limited. If you plan to come by car, please check parking options in advance or use a nearby parking garage.

bikes

Bikes can be parked in front of the building.

parking
Parking in the area is very limited. If you plan to come by car, please check parking options in advance or use a nearby parking garage.

bikes

Bikes can be parked in front of t

practical info

EUtechfest
Tuesday, October 27 2026
Waldorpstraat 5, The Hague

location & travel

TechFest takes place at The Hague Tech, right next to Holland Spoor station. We recommend coming by public transport, as it is the easiest option.

parking

Parking is available near The Hague Tech at Q-Park Laakhaven and ParkBee parking facilities, both within walking distance of the venue.

bikes

Bikes can be parked in front of the building.

accessibility

The building is accessible for visitors with mobility needs. If you have specific accessibility questions or requirements, feel free to contact us in advance.

techfest is powered by

Get in Touch

info@thehaguetech.com

+31 070 206 00 30

Waldorpstraat 5

2521CA, The Hague

The Netherlands

Sign up!

The Hague Tech is a tech community in the Netherlands, offering coworking spaces, private offices, meeting rooms, and event venues for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and innovators to collaborate and drive technological advancements.

EUtechfest take control of your digital future

A special edition of TechFest dedicated to digital sovereignty, European technology and the future of digital independence – powered by The Hague Tech.

program

workshops (10:15 - 13:45)

preventing and solving cloud vendor lock-in

By: Elmer Bulthuis | Platform & Software Architect and Engineer, Owner of LuvDaSun Software

meet-ups (14:00 - 15:00)

ik vertrek!

why does the hague tech organize techfest

about the techfest EU edition // EUtechfest

practical info

techfest is powered by

Get in Touch

Sign up!

Get in Touch

Sign up!

EUtechfest
take control of your digital future