Lutra Consulting at FOSSGIS 2026 Göttingen: Wrap-up

The dust has settled on another fantastic FOSSGIS conference, and the Lutra Consulting team is back from Göttingen with plenty of insights. While the foyer was certainly a bit brisker than last year’s tent, the atmosphere was anything but cold.

FOSSGIS remains one of the most focused user conferences in our calendar. With about 1000 attendees this year, it is one of the largest open-source GIS events globally. Our thanks to the organisers for a seamless event.

This year, we were particularly struck by the high level of technical expertise; the halls were filled with QGIS-skilled users who didn't just know the software but deeply understood how to leverage it for their specific business needs.

‍

Deep Dives and Workshops

Although most of the sessions were in German, the language of open-source collaboration is universal. Our Saber Razmjooei participated in a Mergin Maps workshop hosted by our friends at WhereGroup. Despite the German instruction, the interest from participants was massive, and we were happy to dive into technical Q&A in English to help users get the most out of their field data workflows.

What’s trending? Control and customisation

The conversations at our stand this year were incredibly high-quality. We noticed a significant shift in what the community is looking for:

• Self-Hosting & Privacy: A major topic of discussion was the ability to deploy the Mergin Maps service on private infrastructure.
• Direct Database Integration: Users were eager to learn about collecting field data directly into their PostGIS databases.
• Avoiding Vendor Lock-in: There is a growing concern regarding single-provider software. Attendees were highly focused on licensing and ensuring they aren't trapped in a "black box" system.
• Transparent Value: For this sophisticated audience, pricing wasn't the hurdle—stability and software philosophy were the priorities.

Lessons for the future

The organisers in Göttingen were, as always, flawless. They handled everything with incredible grace, even when we realised we’d missed a ticket payment. 

Looking ahead to future appearances, we’ve taken some notes:

1. Lead with Freedom: We will continue to highlight Mergin Maps Community Edition and our self-hosted Enterprise options as key tools for organisations needing total data control.
2. The Essentials: At all costs, the ice cream machine must return for the social event.

It was a pleasure to meet so many of you who are as passionate about open-source GIS as we are. If we missed you at the stand, feel free to reach out to discuss how we can help with your custom QGIS development or field survey needs.