Dirk Schrödter, born in 1978, is Head of the State Chancellery (CdS) and Minister of Digitalization of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. He has been leading the State Chancellery since 2017, and since 2022, he has also served as Minister for Digitalization and Media Policy. Previously, he was responsible for budget and financial policy in Schleswig-Holstein’s Ministry of Finance. He studied economics in Potsdam. Schrödter is recognized nationwide in Germany as a strong advocate and driving force for digital sovereignty, reflected in the Open Innovation and Open Source Strategy he developed. He believes that digital sovereignty and economic growth are only achievable by use Open Source.