Zum Hauptinhalt springen

T3CON24 Recap - TYPO3 for the Public Sector and Education: A Status Quo

In this recap of the opening keynote at the TYPO3 Conference 2024, we explore the importance of the public sector and educational institutions in TYPO3 – and vice versa – highlighting the significance of a dedicated conference day

Public Sector and Education Spotlight: Introducing a New Theme Day at T3CON

Acknowledging TYPO3's crucial role in projects related to government and academia, T3CON24 introduced a dedicated day spotlighting these vital sectors. Held on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, this themed first day of the TYPO3 Conference showcased innovations like the Government Site Builder (GSB 11, powered by TYPO3) and the role TYPO3 CMS plays in the Higher Education sector. The day offered valuable insights and networking opportunities for officials from public sector institutions, educational organizations, and related stakeholders. Notably, access to the day’s events was free of charge and all sessions on this day were conducted in German. International participants had the opportunity to listen to a simultaneous translation of the sessions via an app.

The Opening Keynote: TYPO3 for the Public Sector and Education

The day’s theme was brought into sharp focus during the opening keynote, "TYPO3 for the Public Sector and Education: A Status Quo," delivered by Daniel Fau, Luisa Faßbender, and Frank Nägler

About the Speakers

Luisa Faßbender

Senior Success Manager at TYPO3 GmbH by Day, TYPO3 Marketing Team Lead by Night. Master's Degree in Management, Marketing & Communications. Creating value and opportunities through strong partnerships - and talking about it.

Daniel Fau

Daniel started using TYPO3 in 2006, which has allowed him to witness the growth in the development of the technology and the community that supports it. Over the years, his career has gone from being self employed, to managing a company to his current role as CEO of TYPO3 GmbH.

Frank Nägler

Frank loves solving hard problems with code, enjoys building cool stuff, and works as CTO for TYPO3 GmbH. He's been developing the TYPO3 CMS core since October 2014 and programming professionally since 2000. When he first started with TYPO3, version 3.6 was still in place.

Daniel Fau opened the talk by emphasizing TYPO3’s alignment with the “Public Money, Public Code” philosophy, stressing that open-source technology must uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability. He highlighted TYPO3’s established presence in the public sector and education as evidence of the CMS’s ability to meet complex demands.

Using a slide titled Unde venis? (English: Where do you come from?)—a deliberate shift from the more common Quo vadis? (English: Where are you headed?)—Fau framed the discussion to underline the importance of TYPO3 CMS. The accompanying key statistics were presented by Luisa Faßbender.

Awareness: Facts, Figures, Data

Daniel stated: “The most popular and powerful CMS for the public sector is not a solo effort.” Proving that point: as of November 2024, the TYPO3 ecosystem includes 1,059 Association members, 18,995 registered my.typo3.org users, and 203 core contributors. Tailored to the present audience, Luisa showcased the numbers to highlight TYPO3’s role in specific verticals.

TYPO3’s Feature Sets Drive Market Dominance

In the public sector, TYPO3 powers critical infrastructures, including the Government Site Builder (GSB 11), a foundational tool for federal and regional administrations in Germany. The CMS’s commitment to high-security standards, granular user permissions, and multilingual capabilities makes it indispensable for institutions managing sensitive data and serving diverse populations. The adoption of TYPO3 for GSB 11 is likely to trigger system migrations from earlier versions like GSB 7 and 10, opening up business opportunities for the agency ecosystem as well as expanding the use of open-source solutions.

In higher education, TYPO3 continues to dominate, powering over 54% of German university websites. Its multi-domain functionality allows seamless management of departmental and faculty-specific pages, while centralized content management streamlines updates. Features like reusable content elements, user role granularity, and compliance with accessibility standards position TYPO3 as the go-to CMS for academic institutions. These advantages resonate particularly well in a sector that prioritizes international collaboration and operational efficiency.

The keynote also highlighted TYPO3’s critical role in supporting NGOs and not-for-profit organizations, with approximately one-quarter of their websites using TYPO3. This widespread adoption is bolstered by features such as donation integration tools, long-term support cycles, and robust out-of-the-box solutions tailored to non-profits' unique needs. 

Finally, in the fields of culture and sports, TYPO3 has gained significant traction. From cultural institutions to top-tier sports teams, TYPO3 is the backbone of several prominent organizations’ digital presences. For instance, a majority of websites for the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga football teams rely on TYPO3. 

The adoption of GSB 11 has sparked a resurgence for TYPO3 CMS in 2024, marking the first increase in installations in years. This momentum, particularly in the public sector and higher education, highlights TYPO3’s growing visibility and influence while underscoring its commitment to meeting the demands of a rapidly expanding user base.

What It Means to Run an Open-Source Community

Daniel Fau returned to the stage to provide a broader perspective on the philosophy and structure that sustain TYPO3 as an open-source community. He began by highlighting the balance TYPO3 strikes between freedom, structure, and shared responsibility, noting that the community’s strength lies in its collaborative governance. 

Daniel emphasized the importance of maintaining trust, high standards, and transparency, also addressing the risks posed by "free-riders," organizations that benefit from TYPO3 without making contributions of their own, and urged attendees to support the project through active participation or membership.

To ensure long-term sustainability, TYPO3 relies on three rules to verify a vendor regarding tenders: certifications, associationmemberships, and agencypartnerships. These elements not only secure financial backing but also reinforce TYPO3’s reputation for quality and reliability. Daniel connected this approach to the “Public Money, Public Code” principle, advocating for public investments in open-source solutions that benefit all stakeholders.

He concluded with a reminder of TYPO3’s core philosophy: the community builds its strength by working together, gathering resources, and collectively shaping the future. “Open-source software isn’t just about sharing code—it’s about sharing responsibility and progress,” he affirmed.

Collaboration at the Heart of TYPO3’s Success

Frank Nägler picked up the thread with a deeper dive into how TYPO3 embodies the principle of “Public Money, Public Benefit.” He emphasized that TYPO3’s success stems not just from its open-source foundation but from the collaborative ecosystem that powers it. "It only works by working together as a community," Frank stated, stressing that TYPO3 thrives on shared goals and the collective efforts of its members, contributors, and teams.

Frank elaborated on how collaboration happens within TYPO3, highlighting the role of TYPO3 GmbH (T3G) in supporting teams across the project. From maintaining critical infrastructure to enabling quality assurance and neutral verification processes, T3G ensures that TYPO3 remains robust and trustworthy. These measures not only enhance the CMS’s reputation but also reinforce its long-term sustainability by keeping standards high and meeting the expectations of its growing user base.

He concluded by revisiting the principle of community-driven progress. TYPO3 exemplifies how shared resources, accountability, and a united vision can turn an open-source platform into a world-class solution for complex digital needs. As he put it, “The decisions that shape TYPO3 come from the community and its contributors – not from a single entity like TYPO3 GmbH, the government, or even an agency.”

Building the Future Together

The keynote closed with a reminder that TYPO3’s success is a shared achievement. As Luisa noted earlier, "The most popular and powerful CMS for the public sector is not a solo effort." TYPO3 thrives because of its community of contributors, partners, and members, all working together to ensure the platform remains secure, innovative, and aligned with public values.

With great market share comes great responsibility, and TYPO3’s future depends on continued collaboration. The TYPO3 Association has diversified its memberships to cater to multiple sectors, similar to those offered in academia, prolongs official support for each version to ensure reliability, and drives excellence through certification and training. Whether through code contributions, financial backing, or active engagement, every effort strengthens the TYPO3 ecosystem. As the final slide proclaimed: “We build the most popular and powerful CMS for the public sector together!”

T3CON24 at a Glance

Did you enjoy this recap? If you would like to relive all the exciting moments from T3CON24, be sure to check our our recap of the entire conference! 

Official T3CON Recap