User:Ciampix/SFSCON

South Tyrol Free Software Conference (SFSCON) is a non-commercial European conference about Free Software held each autumn in Bolzano, Italy.

SFSCON has grown over the years and now attracts more than a thousand participants and more than a hundred speakers^[1] every year to meet and share knowledge about Software Freedom.

This annual conference dedicated to Free Software is aimed at the general public, but in particular at decision-makers in companies, start-ups and research organizations. SFSCON promotes the use of Free Software in IT infrastructures "as a tool to achieve greater innovation and competitiveness"^[2].

The conference is also a meeting place for experts, end users and all those interested in Free Software, offering participants the opportunity to share best practice and to get to know the latest innovations in the field.

History

The conference was started in 2001 by members of the local Linux User Group LUGBZ.(ref?) Since 2005 SFSCON has been organised and promoted by the regional organization for innovation, former BIC than TIS innovation park and today NOI Techpark.^[3]

From 2004 onwards the “South Tyrol Free Software Award” (SFS Award)^[4] has been assigned during SFSCON.

Starting from 2023 the Linux User Group Bozen-Bolzano-Bulsan (LUGBZ) has been joined by the Free Software Foundation Europe in the jury to select the yearly winner of the SFS Award.

Conference history

2001 – First edition organized in the public high-school.
2002 – Organized in the public high-school in Bolzano.
2003 – Organized in the vocational school in Bolzano.
2004 – Organized in the BIC (Business Innovation Center) later TIS Innovation Park.
- First SFSAWARD has been assigned.
- Joachim Kerschbaumer of Wikimedia Deutschland presented Wikipedia to the public and organized one of the first meetings of the wikipedia authors community in Italy, which the year after has than founded Wikimedia Italia.
- Keynotes (i.e. Werner Koch about GNUPG) and workshops (i.e. Alessandro Rubini about Linux kernel development) inspired young developers to join the community.
2005 – Organized in the vocational school in the city of Brixen.
- Kurt Gramlich presented the project Skole-Linux. Which inspired the school to actively participate to the organization of DebConf 2006.
2006 – Organized in the vocational school in Bolzano.
2007 – Organized in the city of Merano
2008 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
- Stormy Peters as Executive Director of the GNOME Foundation inspired the participants to join the desktop develpment.
- GNOME developers organized the first side event in the history of the SFSCON, the Gnome Speck Hack Fest 2008. This inspired many side events during SFSCON in the future years.
2009 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2010 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2011 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2012 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2013 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2014 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2015 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2016 – Organized in the TIS Innovation Park
2017 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2018 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2019 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2020 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2021 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2022 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2023 – Organized in the NOI Techpark
2024 – Organized in the NOI Techpark

South Tyrol Free Software Award

Since the SFSCON edition in 2004 an award is given every year to a person who has supported the use of FLOSS in the region and since 2023 in Europe.

Winners

European SFS Award 2023 - Frank Karlitschek
SFS Award 2022 - Rosella Gennari
SFS Award 2021 - Diego Maniacco
SFS Award 2020 - Davide Montesin
SFS Award 2019 - Piergiorgio Cemin and Marco Marinello
SFS Award 2018 - Paolo Dongilli
SFS Award 2017 - Dietrich Pescoller and Reinhold Pescoller
SFS Award 2016 - Patrick Ohnewein
SFS Award 2015 - Markus Windegger
SFS Award 2014 - Erwin Pfeifer
SFS Award 2013 - Christian Peer
SFS Award 2012 - Alessandro Sani
SFS Award 2011 - Paolo Zilotti
SFS Award 2010 - Christian Mair
SFS Award 2009 - Karl Lunger
SFS Award 2008 - Raphael Vallazza
SFS Award 2007 - Hellmuth Ladurner
SFS Award 2006 - Anton Auer
SFS Award 2005 - Maurizio Cachia
SFS Award 2004 - Hugo Leiter

Consult the dedicated page on SFSCON site.

References

^ Fabbi, Silvia. "Oltre 1.000 partecipanti: Bolzano capitale del software libero" [Over 1,000 participants: Bolzano capital of free software] (Press release) (in Italian). RAI. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
^ "SFSCON – About SFSCON". sfscon.it. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
^ "SFSCON – About SFSCON". sfscon.it. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
^ "SFS Award". sfscon.it. Retrieved 2023-07-04.