Brussels, 1st February 2026
FOSDEM 2026: Europe’s free software gathering
ISOC-CAT presented its contribution at FOSDEM 2026, the major European gathering of free and open-source software developers held every year in Brussels (Belgium). FOSDEM is a free, flagship event where thousands of participants from around the world share projects, ideas, and collaborations within the free software ecosystem.
Free Software for the Reuse and community management of computers and ICT Devices
The talk, titled “Free Software, Computer Reuse, and Digital Product Passports: Experiences from eReuse.org”, took place on Sunday, 1 February, in room H.2215 at the Université libre de Bruxelles campus. It was a 15-minute lightning talk, in which the speakers shared real experiences from the eReuse.org project — a collaborative community initiative (supported by ISOC.CAT, Pangea.org, UPC.EDU, and funded by the Internet Society Foundation) that promotes the circular reuse of digital devices using free software to expand meaningful connectivity for members of communities.
Free software tools that extend device lifespans and improve digital inclusion for vulnerable people
The speakers presented how the free tools developed within the eReuse.org ecosystem — DeviceHub, Workbench, and IdHub — support key processes such as hardware evidence collection, inventory management, digital device identification, refurbishment, traceability, and lifecycle impact measurement.
These tools are used by social reuse organisations in various countries that collect unused computer equipment, repair it, and put it back into circulation to extend its useful life.
Digitising device management enables a fairer social and environmental transition
The session also connected these approaches to the emerging concept of Digital Product Passports, which is linked to research at UPC. It highlighted how reuse-oriented data models, transparency, and interoperability already implemented in free software ecosystems can inform future implementations of digital passports for electronic products.
In this context, the talk explained how DeviceHub and IdHub support these passports through Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials.
The Right to Repair and sustainability
Finally, the presentation placed this work within the broader context of the European agenda on the right to repair and reuse, and European Union sustainability regulations. The session also referenced the repair.eu campaign, emphasising the strategic role of free software and SMEs in ensuring that digital product passports remain open, auditable, and beneficial to society — avoiding their use as merely closed compliance tools — and supporting the development of the second-hand market.
A more inclusive, accessible, and useful internet for everyone
ISOC-CAT’s participation in FOSDEM 2026 reaffirms the chapter’s commitment to promoting open and sustainable technological solutions that support circular models for device reuse, contributing to digital sovereignty, the reduction of electronic waste, and a more inclusive, accessible, and useful internet for everyone.
L’entrada ISOC-CAT shared the eReuse.org experience at FOSDEM 2026 ha aparegut primer a Capítol Català de la Societat Internet.