The Linux Foundation | 19 March 2026
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Leading open source event explores building, securing and sustaining the open technologies powering modern infrastructure
Summary
- The Linux Foundation announced the schedule for Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference North America 2026, which will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 18-20, 2026.
- The event will feature sessions on the rise of AI agents, strengthening software supply chain security, advancing embedded Linux and edge innovation, and sustaining the open source projects that power modern infrastructure.
- Attendees will gain insights from experts at industry-leading organizations like AWS, Cloudflare, Google, IBM, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Netflix, Nordic Semiconductor, OpenAI, Sony and more.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 19, 2026 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the schedule for Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference North America 2026 (OSS + ELC NA), taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from May 18-20, 2026. This premier event serves as the essential gathering point for the global open source community to collaborate on the foundational technologies powering everything from autonomous AI agents to mission-critical industry systems.
“Open source underpins today’s most critical technology shifts, from AI to cloud and beyond,” said Jim Zemlin, CEO, Linux Foundation. “Open Source Summit and Embedded Linux Conference North America brings the global community together to accelerate that progress.”
Engaging with the open source community not only promotes innovation, but delivers measurable value. According to a Linux Foundation Research report on open source ROI, open source contribution has proven to be a strategic business imperative that enables organizations to lower long-term costs, accelerate development, improve security outcomes, and influence project roadmaps.
Highlights at OSS + ELC NA 2026 include:
Advancing Agentic AI in the Open
AI has evolved beyond simple chatbots to autonomous, agent-based systems. As this shift accelerates, open source tools and frameworks remain essential to building and deploying production-ready AI agents. Explore key aspects of open source agentic AI, including decision automation in platform engineering, securing agent-to-tool communication, and other emerging use cases.
Session highlight: KV-Cache Centric Inference: Building an Open Source LLM Serving Platform Around State – Martin Hickey & Maroon Ayoub, IBM Research
Operationalizing Software Supply Chain Security
Global attention on technology governance is accelerating the shift from creating software bills of materials (SBOMs) to operationalizing them. Obtain insights into how organizations are strengthening software supply chain resilience through SBOM implementation, automated security practices, and collaborative approaches to protecting open source ecosystems.
Scaling Open Innovation Across Embedded Linux and Edge Systems
Embedded Linux continues to power a wide range of critical systems, from industrial automation and automotive platforms to IoT and edge computing environments. Explore how developers are optimizing performance, improving reliability, and enabling real-time capabilities across embedded deployments.
Session highlight: From Physics to eBPF: Quantifying Flash Wear in Embedded Systems – Blake Hildebrand, Nordic Semiconductor
Sustaining the Open Source Ecosystem
Open source lays the groundwork for critical infrastructure worldwide, and sustaining resilient and well-governed communities is critical to success. Learn strategies for sustaining open source communities amid increasing demand, managing the rise of AI-generated code contributions, and strengthening long-term support for critical projects.
Session highlight: Scaling Your OSPO with Agents and Automation: Lessons from GitHub's Open Source Program – Ashley Wolf, GitHub
Attendees also have the opportunity to join co-located events, including Linux Security Summit, Observability Summit, and OpenSSF Community Day North America.
Registration
Registration is now open. Early bird pricing is available through March 24, 2026. Discounted registration is available for academics, government employees, hobbyists, and small businesses – view full details here. To request a press pass, contact pr@linuxfoundation.org.
Event Sponsors
OSS + ELC NA 2026 is made possible thanks to our sponsors, including:
- Diamond Sponsors: Google, Microsoft
- Platinum Sponsors: Amazon Web Services
- Gold Sponsors: Chainguard, CNCF, Coder, Dynatrace, OpenSearch, Red Hat
- Silver Sponsors: Framework, Minimus, Percona, Sonatype
To learn more about becoming an event sponsor, click here.
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Media Contact
Kristi Piechnik
The Linux Foundation
pr@linuxfoundation.org