Schleswig-Holstein, Germany – Comprehensive Digital Sovereignty Programme
Germany’s northernmost state is executing the most comprehensive government open source migration currently underway in Europe, affecting 90,000 total users. The migration is explicitly framed as a “digital sovereignty” initiative driven by GDPR compliance concerns, cost savings, and geopolitical risk reduction.
| Status | Active (2021–2025+); Exchange migration completed October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Classification | Current Exemplar – Most comprehensive European government migration in progress (2026) |
Overview
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state, is executing the most comprehensive government open source migration currently underway in Europe, affecting 90,000 total users (60,000 civil servants and 30,000 teachers). The migration is explicitly framed as a “digital sovereignty” initiative driven by GDPR compliance concerns, cost savings, and geopolitical risk reduction. As of January 2026, the state has completed office suite and email migrations and is actively deploying collaboration tools and piloting desktop Linux.
Strategic Context and Motivations
Minister of Digitalisation Dirk Schroedter provides public, vocal commitment to the programme, delivering explicit statements that leave no ambiguity about the state’s direction.
The programme is underpinned by several reinforcing motivations:
- Digital Sovereignty: “No influence on operating processes and handling of data, including possible outflow to third countries”
- GDPR Compliance: The state procurement chamber ruled US cloud services non-compliant with EU data protection requirements
- Cost Savings: Tens of millions of euros in licensing fees eliminated
- Economic Development: Financing the domestic European digital economy rather than exporting licence fees
- Predictable Costs: Avoiding forced upgrades (the Windows 10 to 11 transition was cited as a specific concern)
Phased Migration Timeline
| Phase | Timeline | Technology Change | Scope | Status (Jan 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 2021–2024 | MS Office to LibreOffice | All departments | Completed |
| Phase 2 | 2024–Oct 2025 | Exchange/Outlook to Open-Xchange + Thunderbird | 40,000+ accounts | Completed Oct 2025 |
| Phase 3 | 2025–2026 | SharePoint to Nextcloud | File collaboration | In Progress |
| Phase 4 | 2025–2026 | Teams to Jitsi + Matrix/Element | Video + messaging | In Progress |
| Phase 5 | 2025–2027 | Windows to Linux (KDE Plasma on Kubuntu/openSUSE) | Desktop OS | Pilot Testing |
| Future | TBD | Hardware to Fairphone (pilot) | Mobile devices | Exploring |
October 2025 Exchange Migration Milestone
The completion of the Exchange-to-Open-Xchange migration in October 2025 represented a critical programme milestone:
- 40,000+ accounts migrated from Microsoft Exchange to Open-Xchange
- 100+ million emails and calendar entries transferred successfully
- Described as a “milestone for digital sovereignty” by state officials
This migration is particularly significant because email systems are typically among the most deeply embedded enterprise services, with extensive calendar, contact, and workflow integrations. Its successful completion demonstrates that even complex, tightly-integrated Microsoft infrastructure can be replaced at scale.
Technology Stack (Target State)
| Component | From | To | Vendor / Support | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office Suite | MS Office | LibreOffice | The Document Foundation + commercial support | Deployed |
| Email Server | Exchange | Open-Xchange | Open-Xchange AG (German company) | Deployed |
| Email Client | Outlook | Thunderbird | Mozilla + commercial support | Deployed |
| File Collaboration | SharePoint | Nextcloud | Nextcloud GmbH (German company) | Deploying |
| Video Conferencing | Teams | Jitsi | Self-hosted + commercial support | Deploying |
| Instant Messaging | Teams | Matrix/Element | Matrix.org Foundation + Element GmbH (German) | Deploying |
| Desktop OS | Windows | KDE Plasma on Kubuntu or openSUSE | Canonical or SUSE | Pilot |
| Mobile Devices | Various | Fairphone (pilot) | Fairphone (Dutch manufacturer) | Exploring |
Governance and Institutional Infrastructure
Unlike many previous migration attempts, Schleswig-Holstein has established permanent institutional structures to sustain the programme beyond any single political cycle.
Open Source Programme Office (OSPO)
A dedicated office to coordinate and oversee the state’s open source strategy. The OSPO sets standards, coordinates migration across agencies, supports individual departments in their transitions, and engages with upstream open source communities. This provides a sustained institutional home for the programme, ensuring continuity regardless of political changes.
Innovation Hub
Bringing together universities, startups, businesses, and the public sector under an “Open Innovation” initiative. The Innovation Hub develops open source platforms for government use, including an Electronic Case File system, and fosters collaboration between the academic and commercial sectors to build a sustainable open source ecosystem.
Economic Development Strategy
Schleswig-Holstein frames its migration not merely as a cost-saving exercise but as an economic development strategy for the European digital economy.
- A 2021 European Commission study found that a 10% increase in open source investment across the EU could produce 600 new startups and generate 0.6% GDP growth
- Procurement actively favours European vendors, directing licensing expenditure back into the domestic economy
- Local companies are engaged for training, support, and customisation services
- Job creation through the emerging support and services market around open source government infrastructure
Training and Support Model
Recognising that user adoption is the primary determinant of migration success, Schleswig-Holstein has implemented a comprehensive, tiered training programme:
| Audience | Training Approach |
|---|---|
| IT Personnel | Advanced technical training on open source infrastructure, administration, and troubleshooting |
| Department IT Coordinators | Train-the-trainer programmes enabling cascading knowledge transfer within each agency |
| End Users | Role-based training (2–4 hours per application change), tailored to actual workflows |
| Online Resources | Self-paced learning modules and video tutorials for on-demand reference |
Support Tiers
| Tier | Provider |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Department IT coordinators (first point of contact) |
| Tier 2 | State IT help desk (centralised support) |
| Tier 3 | Vendor support (Open-Xchange, Nextcloud, etc.) |
| Tier 4 | Community engagement via the OSPO (upstream bug fixes, feature requests) |
Challenges and Risks
- Technology Dependencies Beyond Software: Microprocessors remain primarily sourced from the United States and China. Software sovereignty alone does not eliminate all foreign technology dependencies.
- User Adoption at Scale: 90,000 users represents a substantial change management challenge. Even with comprehensive training, resistance to change and productivity dips during transition are expected.
- Application Compatibility: Line-of-business applications and specialist departmental software require individual testing and potential adaptation to function correctly in the new environment.
- Support Infrastructure: Building a sufficiently skilled workforce for Linux and open source support across the entire state administration takes time and sustained investment.
- Desktop Linux Uncertainty: Phase 5 remains in pilot. A full desktop Linux rollout across all 90,000 users is not yet guaranteed and depends on successful pilot outcomes.
GDPR and Legal Compliance
The legal foundation for Schleswig-Holstein’s migration is significantly stronger than previous European attempts:
- The state procurement chamber issued a formal ruling that US cloud services are non-compliant with GDPR
- The programme directly addresses Schrems II implications by eliminating reliance on transatlantic data transfers
- All data is stored on state-controlled infrastructure within Germany/EU
- Open source software enables independent verification of data handling practices, something proprietary software cannot offer
Comparison to Munich LiMux
Schleswig-Holstein has explicitly learned from Munich’s experience, addressing each of the factors that contributed to LiMux’s political reversal:
| Factor | Munich (2003–2017) | Schleswig-Holstein (2021–present) |
|---|---|---|
| Political Commitment | Single administration; reversed by successor | Ministerial ownership; public statements create political accountability |
| Communication | Insufficient public communication | Minister publicly vocal and media-engaged |
| Legal Foundation | None; politically vulnerable | GDPR compliance requirement provides legal mandate |
| Phasing | Good but OpenOffice issues | Excellent; learning from Munich and France |
| Economic Framing | Cost savings focus only | Economic development + cost savings + sovereignty |
| Vendor Engagement | Minimal; vulnerable to lobbying | Active European vendor partnerships |
| Institutional Infrastructure | Project-based; no permanent home | OSPO provides sustained institutional home |
| Community Engagement | Limited external engagement | Innovation Hub fosters university, business, and community collaboration |
Current Status (January 2026)
Completed
- LibreOffice deployed to 60,000+ users across all departments
- Open-Xchange + Thunderbird deployed (40,000+ accounts migrated)
- Governance structures established (OSPO, Innovation Hub)
In Progress
- Nextcloud deployment for file collaboration
- Jitsi deployment for video conferencing
- Matrix/Element deployment for instant messaging
- Training programmes across all tiers
Piloting
- Linux desktop OS (KDE Plasma on Kubuntu or openSUSE)
- Fairphone for mobile devices
Sources
- The Register – Schleswig-Holstein open source migration (October 2025)
- ZDNet – German state Schleswig-Holstein uninstalls Windows
- Raconteur – Schleswig-Holstein open source
- EagleEyeT – German state ditches Microsoft for open source software
- LinuxSecurity – Schleswig-Holstein’s bold move to open source
Related Sections
- Non-US Tooling Alternatives – Complete catalogue of the European vendor ecosystem used by Schleswig-Holstein
- Governance Model – How the OSPO and Innovation Hub structures map to proposed sovereign cloud governance
- Pilot Programme – How Schleswig-Holstein’s phased approach informs the proposed pilot methodology
- Service Catalogue – Mapping of Schleswig-Holstein’s technology stack to catalogue capabilities
- Critical Success Factors – How this case study validates the consolidated success factor analysis