State of Open Con (SOOCon) has quickly established itself as a key event in the UK's open technology landscape. Launched in 2023 by OpenUK, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting open technology, SOOCon brings together professionals and enthusiasts from open source software, hardware, data, and standards. It serves as a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and community building, reflecting the diverse and evolving nature of open technology.
Held annually in London, the conference has grown since its inception, expanding in both scope and depth. The inaugural event in 2023 was pulled together in just over ten weeks, a testament to the dedication of its organisers and volunteers. By 2025, SOOCon had evolved into a multi-track event with a diverse lineup of speakers, tackling a broad range of topics relevant to the open technology community.
This year’s programme featured sessions on Open Source Software and Security, Open Data, AI Openness, and the Future of Open Source. Talks covered critical topics such as open source licensing challenges, strategies for sustaining open source communities, and the role of AI in shaping open technologies. These discussions reinforced the importance of structured governance, collaboration, and innovation in the open ecosystem.
Our talk, Bringing Open Collaboration into New Fields Through Cryptographic Algorithms was delivered by Phyto Michael, our sales director. It highlighted key issues, such as undetected cryptographic components, lack of clear declaration processes, and their impact on security compliance and export controls. He discussed how cryptographic intelligence can be integrated into SBOMs to streamline compliance, enhance security, and prepare for post-quantum cryptography. A key takeaway was the introduction of the crypto_algorithms_open_dataset, an open dataset that enables better detection, classification, and management of cryptographic algorithms within the software supply chain. Additionally, the talk covered SCANOSS’s contributions to SPDX’s initiative to create a shared data structure for cryptographic algorithms, ensuring they can be consistently declared in SPDX-compliant SBOMs. You can find the whole talk here.
While there weren’t many emerging trends discussed, SOOCon 2025 still provided valuable insights and meaningful discussions—and, of course, the hoodie was a solid highlight! If you missed us at SOOCon, be sure to connect with us —we’d love to keep the discussion going!