Open Hardware Summit 2026 is Going to Germany

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Open Hardware Summit 2026 is Going to Germany

Join the Open Source Hardware Association in Berlin, Germany May 23rd and 24th for the Open Hardware Summit. For the first time ever, we’re coming to Germany! Whether you’re just learning about, or very experienced with, open source hardware, we’d love to see you there!

This year we have incredible programming between our speakers, workshop runners and performers for two full days. There’s something for everyone! Grab your tickets here, and check out the full schedule, including workshop registration, here. If you missed our call for proposals, you can still bring your hardware with you to the event and exhibit at our tabling session!

Here are some of the highlights we’re excited about

Before the event even starts you can come hang out at Schleusenkrug for Hardware Happy Hour with Helen Leigh, May 22nd from 6:00pm-11:00pm!

Then we kick off the Summit on May 23rd with talks, tables and an art gallery.

Kari Love and Daniel Ryan Johnston will be joining us to discuss bringing open source hardware to the opera and what it takes to create untethered wearable projectors.

Nicole Yi Messier and Victoria Manganiello are bridging open source and knitting machines, reflecting on how knitting machine communities have always worked towards openness.

Thomas Weiß, Holger Kienle and János Adelsberger collaborated on an open source vacuum that combines 3D printing and COTS parts with standard mechanical and electrical interfaces for a domestic tool that thrives off repair and customization.

The Susanne Krenn, Sigrid Peuker, Yana Sadeghvishkaei, Minh Phuong Phung, Linh Hoang and Jessica Hellmuth have come together to develop an open, trustworthy and safe-to-us menstrual cup mould that will help bring more access to menstrual care.

Clemens Mayer is going to lead us through the ins and outs of CE marking in open source hardware so you know exactly what matters when selling your work in Europe.

Our official after party Open Source Open Mic will be at C-Base on Saturday night that will feature an OHS themed drag performance, cassette tape player instruments, experimental candle/sensor/amplifier noise work and more! We deeply encourage folks to bring their cool projects that can make sound to share.

On Day 2 we have a combination of workshops, lighting talks and discussion groups across diverse topics in open source hardware!

You can spend time with Maya Williams building a solar powered laser for protest and beyond.

Or join William Kennedy in making a contactless bicycle dynamo and light to utilize eddy currents and create electricity.

Alex Bachmayer can lead you through the methods of natural dyeing with safflower, shifting pH values to get yolky yellows, highlight pinks and rich crimsons.

Kate Hartman and Juan Sulca are running a haptic experimental session that will have participants creating WIP breakout boards for use with vibe motors.

Want to get a bit more info on manufacturing? Join Joshua Lifton, Enrico Bassi and Ricardo Ruiz Freire are coming together to discuss how they work through their manufacturing.

We’ve also got Izzie Colpits-Campbell, Maya Williams and Mónica Rikić discussing the wide range of speculative hardware and their varied approaches to it.

After we wrap the Summit you can come out to the MothRave, where Andy Quitmeyer will be taking over a nearby park to track moths and dance the night away so don’t forget your moth-inspired looks to make a gorgeous swarm.

Want to know more about the schedule? Check out the official OHS2026 site and find out about the additional 11 talks, 10 workshops, discussion group, lighting talks and 46 tables that we couldn’t fit in this article!

See you in Berlin!

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Sid Drmay

a queer non-binary trans interdisciplinary artist who loves textiles, cyberpunk and snails. They work as the Community Coordinator for OSHWA, as well as Summit Fellowship Chair during OHS planning season. They are also co-chair of Dinacon and are a freelance journalist with bylines in CBC, This Magazine and Broken Pencil Magazine. They are a passionate arts educator and zinester. They are probably in the middle of too many projects right now.

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