Last week, int:net proudly co-organised the 3rd Cross-sector Symposium on Interoperability in Vienna alongside CETPartnership, IHE-Europe, and IHE Catalyst.
The event brought together over 80 experts — policymakers, researchers, and practitioners — under the theme:
“Governance and Testing Strategies for Interoperability: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Interoperability Beyond Technology
The symposium made clear that interoperability is not just a technical challenge — it is a matter of governance and collaboration across sectors.
Uniting diverse stakeholders is essential for building sustainable, future-proof digital infrastructures in Europe.
A Rich Programme of Insights and Exchange
The agenda featured expert talks, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, sparking dialogue on how structured testing and coordinated governance can drive digital transformation.
A particular highlight was an exclusive guided tour of the IHE Connectathon and Energy Projectathon test floor, where participants witnessed interoperability testing in practice — including pioneering efforts in the energy sector, with insights from René Kuchenbuch, Meng Lin (OFFIS), and Matthias Frohner (FH Technikum Wien).
Jürgen Brandstätter shed light on interoperability frameworks, stressing the importance of testable, consensus-based specifications.
We also heard from European Commission representatives — Felicitas Bitzenhofer (DG DIGIT), Aurora Ursula Joala (DG SANTE), Mark Van Stiphout (DG ENER), and Rolf Riemenschneider (DG CONNECT) — who presented key EU initiatives like the Interoperable Europe Act, the European Health Data Space, and the development of a common European Energy Data Space, underlining Europe’s commitment to cross-sector interoperability.
Other standout contributions included Thomas Reukauf’s analysis of interoperability in German smart cities and Georg Hartner’s call for shared IT infrastructure to underpin cross-sector efforts.
A Call to Action
A strong takeaway from the symposium was the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration as a key enabler of Europe’s digitalisation, particularly in the energy sector.
As emphasised by Angela Berger (CETPartnership) and our own Markus Stroot (int:net), coordinated governance and joint testing approaches are critical to shaping Europe’s digital future.
Looking Ahead
We are proud that this symposium strengthened the European interoperability community and sparked meaningful connections and ideas.
Our heartfelt thanks to all speakers, contributors, and attendees for making this event a success.
We look forward to continuing this journey together — working towards a more connected, collaborative, and digital Europe.
Please feel free to download all presentations here.
