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Open Elements 2024 Year in Review

#OpenElements

The year 2024 at Open Elements was marked by growth and successful project developments. The company’s strong commitment to the open-source ecosystem was demonstrated by the additional or renewed appointments of CEO Hendrik Ebbers to various positions at the Eclipse Foundation, Eclipse Adoptium, Hiero, the Linux Foundation, and the Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust.

Open Elements continues to focus on open source and Java
Open Elements continues to focus on open source and Java

For Hendrik Ebbers and Open Elements, open source is a matter of the heart, reflected in their company values, which are consistently upheld and visibly practiced:

  • Introducing new people to the community,
  • Supporting (academic) talent and sharing knowledge,
  • Advancing development,
  • Providing help and solutions.

From publications and lectures to conference support, Open Elements once again demonstrated in 2024 that great dedication pays off, launching the Support & Care for Apache Maven™ project—a milestone in the open-source space.

Engagement

Personal and voluntary commitment are integral to Open Elements’ mission. In 2024, Hendrik Ebbers was re-elected to the Board of the Eclipse Foundation (the largest European open-source foundation) and appointed as the lead of the Technical Steering Committee (TSC) for Hiero. Additional appointments included seats on the Steering Committees of Eclipse Adoptium and Hiero within the Linux Foundation, as well as on the Technical Advisory Board of the Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust. These re-elections highlight the tangible and lasting impact of Open Elements’ contributions to the open-source ecosystem.

Foundations and Working Groups Open Elements contributes to
Foundations and Working Groups Open Elements contributes to

Open Elements is also a member of the Open Regulatory Compliance Working Group (ORCWG) within the Eclipse Foundation. This group facilitates the implementation of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), bridging the gap between regulatory bodies and the open-source ecosystem to ensure technology adoption aligns with global regulations.

Looking ahead, Open Elements plans to join the Open Source Business Alliance, Germany’s federal association for digital sovereignty. The alliance provides a platform to promote improvements in the open-source landscape while fostering connections with policymakers and public sector organizations. It works to enhance the perception of open source in industry and the broader public.

Open Elements connects governments and open source
Open Elements connects governments and open source

Sponsoring & Support

Sponsoring by Open Elements plays a crucial role in advancing the Java and open-source ecosystems. This includes providing financial resources as well as personal support at local, national, and international levels. Hendrik Ebbers contributed as the program committee chair for the JavaLand conference and also presented as a speaker. Similarly, he delivered talks at the OCX conference, sharing his knowledge with many attendees. Open Elements proudly served as a sponsor for both events.

Open Elements as one of the sponsors of the JavaLand conference
Open Elements as one of the sponsors of the JavaLand conference

Another example of sponsorship and personal involvement is Hendrik Ebbers’ active role in the Java community. As a co-leader of the JUG Dortmund, several events were organized and funded throughout the year.

During Hacktoberfest, Open Elements’ financial support enabled approximately 30 participants, both local and international, to actively contribute. Around 10 participants made their first open-source contributions with guidance from experts. Through the Open Elements team’s participation in JUG events, new opportunities were created for exploring open-source projects and fostering a sense of real teamwork.

Hendrik Ebbers on the benefits of open source contributions

Networking opportunities are vital for newcomers and seasoned contributors to experience the community firsthand. To ease entry into the open-source world, tasks of varying difficulty were prepared and supported by detailed documentation and remote assistance. This was made possible by Open Elements’ investment. Additionally, financial incentives were provided for high-quality contributions, creating a win-win situation. For example, a developer from India was rewarded with financial support for his outstanding work and commitment.

Through sponsorship and participation in conferences and meetups, Open Elements builds a strong network
Through sponsorship and participation in conferences and meetups, Open Elements builds a strong network

Teaching Assignment at OTH Regensburg

In the winter semester of 2023/24, Hendrik Ebbers held a teaching assignment at OTH Regensburg. In his lecture on Distributed Ledger Technology and Digital Trust, he taught students the foundational skills required to develop DLT-based systems. The course also covered advanced topics such as smart contracts and NFTs.

“The programming aspect of the course creates a highly engaging seminar that appeals to both crypto enthusiasts and traditional software developers alike,” said one student.

Own Open-Source Projects and Contributions

Throughout 2024, Open Elements advanced the development of two new in-house projects and contributed to a Google open-source initiative aimed at enhancing security.

Open Elements contributed to open source projects every week in 2024
Open Elements contributed to open source projects every week in 2024

Hedera & Linux Foundation

With the support of Hedera, IBM, and other notable companies, Open Elements submitted an official proposal to transfer all Hedera source code to the Linux Foundation. This move aims to make the decentralized network’s code independent of individual companies, thereby strengthening societal trust. The proposal was approved, leading to the establishment of Hiero as a Linux Foundation project.

Following this, Open Elements proposed that one of its own open-source software projects also be transferred to the Linux Foundation and integrated into the Hiero project. The goal is to create a standardized GitHub Action that will be highly beneficial for many automated quality assurance measures within the Hiero ecosystem.

Hendrik Ebbers presents Hiero at the OCX Conference of the Eclipse Foundation

As an additional recognition, Hendrik Ebbers, CEO of Open Elements, was appointed as the chair of the Technical Steering Committee for the Hiero project within the Linux Foundation and promoted to “Director of Open Source” at Hashgraph.

Funding Received

A significant milestone for Open Elements came at the end of 2024 with the German government’s approval of funding to advance Apache Maven. This led to the creation of the Support & Care for Apache Maven™ project, focused on the sustainable support of critical open-source components.

Logo of Support & Care for Apache Maven

With this approval, the Sovereign Tech Agency provides the necessary financial resources, enabling Open Elements to implement much-needed expansions and safeguards for these critical components through mid-2026. This ensures the reliability and performance of Apache Maven with professional maintenance, regular updates, and the involvement of experts, some working full-time on the project.

Apache Maven holds a significant position in the Java ecosystem, with over 100 million downloads annually. However, until now, the system has relied primarily on voluntary efforts without consistent financial backing.

Diagram illustrating the funding process
Diagram illustrating the funding process

Open Elements has taken on the responsibility of managing the allocated funding for Apache Maven and is honored by the trust shown by the Maven community. The project’s status, goals, and funding utilization are transparently documented in a GitHub repository.

Falk Sippach from embarc Software Consulting GmbH described it on Heise Developer as follows:
“The trust that the Maven community places in Open Elements as a transparent player in the open-source field is unparalleled and is what makes this initiative possible in the first place.”

Hendrik Ebbers discussing this topic with Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, in Lisbon
Hendrik Ebbers discussing this topic with Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, in Lisbon

Publications & TecTalks

Hendrik Ebbers delivered a wide range of talks in 2024, emphasizing his commitment to education and support for the open-source community at all levels. His topics spanned diverse areas such as open source, distributed systems, distributed ledger technology, and Java. All talks are available via this YouTube playlist.

Hendrik Ebbers speaking about Open Source Foundations at OCX
Hendrik Ebbers speaking about Open Source Foundations at OCX

As the CEO & Founder of Open Elements GmbH, Hendrik Ebbers is deeply committed to strengthening the community through his expertise and experience. His articles published in the Java Blog on Heise include:

Other Publications:

Open Elements Inside

Open Elements continues to grow, and on September 1, 2024, the team welcomed Natascha Dönges as a valuable addition to the back office.

Natascha Dönges
Natascha Dönges

Jessie Ssebuliba and Tayebwa Noah, developers from Uganda, joined Open Elements at the beginning of 2024 on a part-time basis. Since mid-2024, both have been working full-time for the company.

Tayebwa Noah and Jessie Ssebuliba
Tayebwa Noah and Jessie Ssebuliba

This collaboration highlights the impact of global teamwork on open-source projects. Recognizing their potential, CEO Hendrik Ebbers offered both developers positions at Open Elements. They work from a coworking space in Uganda, equipped with high-quality hardware and supported with additional resources, including health insurance.

Another full-time developer has already signed a contract and will join the team in the first quarter of 2025. The entire team looks forward to welcoming their new colleague.

Conclusion

The young company achieved significant milestones in 2024, whose full impact will unfold in the coming months. Through its unwavering commitment, Open Elements has reaffirmed its leading role in education and technology, solidifying its position as a key player in the open source + Java universe.

Open Elements building the open source + Java universe
author

Hendrik Ebbers

Hendrik Ebbers is the founder of Open Elements. He is a Java champion, a member of JSR expert groups and a JavaOne rockstar. Hendrik is a member of the Eclipse JakartaEE working group (WG) and the Eclipse Adoptium WG. In addition, Hendrik Ebbers is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eclipse Foundation.

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