East meets west: Bosch's OSPO inaugural speaking engagement at Japan's open-source conferences
今日は (Konnichiwa) from Japan!
End of 2025, Tokyo became a global hub for the open-source community, hosting a series of major events including the Linux Foundation Open Source Summit, Open Compliance Summit, and the Linux Plumbers Conference. For the first time, Bosch experts took the stage at such a prestigious event in Japan, marking a significant milestone for the company's engagement with the Asian open-source ecosystem. Five Bosch colleagues attended to present, learn, and connect, returning with a wealth of new insights and strengthened partnerships.
From global initiatives to local connections
Nikola Babadzhanov (Open Source Consultant, Bosch Digital) and Marcel Kurzmann (Open Source and Software Management Consultant, Bosch Digital; OpenChain Board Member) attended both the Open Source Summit and Open Compliance Summit. They had the opportunity to speak about the Bosch OSPO (Open Source Program Office) and SEPIA, the Bosch’s SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) initiative. Their sessions sparked numerous discussions and opened doors for future collaborations.
As Marcel noted, the insights from Sony OSPO colleagues on "Overcoming Regional Challenges" were a great guide for the week, emphasizing the overwhelming hospitality of the Japanese community. This spirit of learning and collaboration extended into strategic planning for the community's future. A well-received discussion in the "Open Source in Business" workgroup, for instance, underscored the importance of extending community efforts into areas beyond engineering. Looking ahead, the OpenChain Board also set its course for 2026, aligning future events and rolling out a new ambassador program. A major highlight of this initiative was the appointment of Ayumi Watanabe as the new ambassador for women's networks - a celebrated move to enhance diversity across the project.
For Nikola as OpenChain Ambassador, the summit was an opportunity to drive collaboration. He engaged in crucial talks with representatives from various Asian OEMs about advancing SBOM standardization in the automotive industry and strengthening OpenChain initiatives. "Having the chance to meet with the Asian community in the hub that is Tokyo is an immense opportunity to bring east and west together to collaborate without boundaries and borders," Nikola shared.
A key goal for the team was to connect with local Bosch colleagues, Morita Yasuhiro, responsible for Technology and Engineering in SDV area, Bosch Japan, and Fukuda Takashi, Manager Control Engineering, Bosch Home Comfort Japan, Inc. They were introduced to the OpenChain network, promoting them as onsite Bosch representatives for open-source in Japan.
Driving innovation in automotive and beyond
Philipp Ahmann (Sr. OSS Community & Automotive OSS Process Manager, ETAS GmbH) had a particularly engaging week. As Chair of the Technical Steering Committee for the Enabling Linux in Safety Applications (ELISA) project, he co-hosted a micro-conference on "Safe Systems with Linux". His journey also took him to a Zephyr meetup to discuss its growing potential in automotive applications and to the Eclipse SDV Meetup at the Bosch office in Yokohama. Drawing on his many years of collaboration with Japanese colleagues, Philipp was honored to join a panel discussion, where he shared a unique international perspective and represented the Eclipse S-CORE project's work on software-defined vehicles.
"Having collaborated closely with Japanese colleagues for many years, I felt a strong connection to the local community," Philipp reflected. "The principles of open-source – collaboration, transparency, and community – align beautifully with many aspects of Japanese culture, fostering a remarkable environment for shared innovation."
Inspiring moments and key learnings
Beyond the official sessions, the week was filled with inspiring moments. The Bosch team enjoyed a laid-back discussion between Linux creator Linus Torvalds and Dirk Hohndel, which served as a powerful reminder of the passion that fuels the open-source movement. Another highlight was a keynote from Stefania Druga on how learning patterns are evolving in the age of AI, which included a fascinating look at introducing AI concepts to children.
The story doesn't end in Tokyo. The connections made and the conversations started will continue at upcoming events in Europe, such as FOSDEM, Embedded World, and the "OpenChain and Friends" event, where representatives from the Japanese OSS community will be welcomed. The journey will then come full circle, returning to Japan in May for the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) All Member Meeting.
This inaugural speaking engagement was a resounding success, strengthening Bosch’s commitment with the global open-source community and paving the way for even greater collaboration in the future. A key focus of this continued engagement will be on AI. Bosch looks forward to leveraging these upcoming opportunities to share its latest AI advancements and build new partnerships within the local Japanese tech community.