Open Source for Public Good: Key Takeaways for Governments from DrupalCon Europe

I had the privilege of attending DrupalCon Europe in the vibrant city of Barcelona. There’s something uniquely inspiring about seeing the global Drupal community come together to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and the future of open source. As a member of the Drupal Association board and the Chief Digital and AI Officer for the great state of Georgia, this year’s conference made me reflect deeply on how pivotal Drupal is to government digital strategies.

The widely anticipated “Driesnote”; the keynote address by Dries Buytaert, founder of Drupal, has always been a highlight of the event. At the heart of the keynote was the introduction of "Drupal CMS" —a clear signal that open-source solutions like Drupal are evolving to meet the growing needs of governments, businesses, and content creators alike. For government agencies, this flexibility is a game-changer. We need robust, secure platforms that scale, and Drupal offers that without the high costs of proprietary systems.

A standout moment for me was the unveiling of Drupal CMS’s new installer and trial experience. The friction that once existed for new users, especially those in resource-constrained public sectors, has been greatly reduced. Whether technical or not, anyone can now onboard to Drupal seamlessly. This will undoubtedly help government teams accelerate digital transformation initiatives without being bottlenecked by complex technical requirements.

One of the most exciting features is the introduction of “Recipes”—pre-configured, shareable solutions that allow non-technical users to build websites quickly and efficiently. For governments, this is a huge win. Teams can now create meaningful digital solutions with fewer technical barriers, speeding up timelines and enhancing service delivery for citizens.

As someone deeply involved in AI governance, the AI-powered tools demonstrated at DrupalCon resonated with me. These tools promise to simplify complex processes like renaming content types or configuring fields, all while adhering to ethical AI principles—human oversight, transparency, and fairness. This is exactly the kind of responsible AI integration that governments need to build public trust while delivering faster, smarter services.

Looking forward to the January 2025 release of Drupal CMS 1.0, I see a tremendous opportunity for public sector teams to optimize their digital presence through the platform’s next-level SEO tools. From managing sitemaps to optimizing content with real-time suggestions, Drupal will empower teams to improve their reach and engagement without requiring heavy developer involvement.

Finally, I’d like to emphasize the importance of giving back to the Drupal community. As public sector organizations, we have a duty not only to adopt open-source technologies but also to contribute to their sustainability. The Adopt-a-Document program launched at DrupalCon is a fantastic opportunity for organizations to sponsor documentation and support the ongoing growth of this powerful platform.

In sum, DrupalCon Barcelona 2024 reinforced one key message: Drupal is not just the right choice for digital projects today but a smart, long-term investment in a future that is open, flexible, and community-driven. I strongly encourage governments and organizations to explore Drupal’s powerful features, invest in open source, and contribute back to the vibrant community driving its evolution. As Drupal Association’s CEO Tim Doyle puts it, "Public dollars should go to public software”. Together, we can shape the future of open-source technology in the public sector.