The Dutch government has taken the initiative to develop its own open-source work environment for civil servants, based on the Linux distribution NixOS. The project, known as DAWO (Digital Autonomous Government Work Environment), is already being tested by eight municipalities, according to Dutch technology website Tweakers.
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DAWO is not just an operating system. It includes a complete office suite, collaboration applications, cloud services and management tools. The Kingdom's Ministry of Interior and Relations is responsible for its development, while the code for the NixOS client is available in a public government repository, enhancing transparency and accessibility.
The decision to develop DAWO arose from the Dutch government’s concern about its dependence on non-European technologies. This dependence makes it vulnerable to disruptions of critical systems, loss of control of government data, and espionage. The need for a more autonomous and secure digital environment became particularly evident in 2025, when the United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague. At that time, the Dutch government realized that access to many essential services depended on US policy, as reported by lead developer Victor Gevers.
In July, the Intergovernmental Committee for Government Operations formally tasked the three main central government IT providers—SSC-ICT, DICTU and DUO-ICT—with creating a standard, more dominant digital workplace. The team leading the project includes Gevers, Rutger Putter and Bram Buijs, with Buijs leading the pilots in collaboration with the Association of Dutch Municipalities. The municipalities of 's-Hertogenbosch, Zaanstad, Ede and Amsterdam joined in April, with more municipalities to be announced later.
The team initially tried openSUSE and then Fedora before settling on NixOS, which has Dutch roots and is not controlled by any commercial company. NixOS stores each package in its own locked folder, making it easy to copy configurations between organizations. Putter noted that “eighty to ninety percent of the Nix code is reusable.”
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One of the major advantages of NixOS is the ability to customize and reuse code, which can reduce development time and costs for different organizations. Buijs developed a graphical tool for managing NixOS, allowing Windows administrators to migrate without having to learn Linux commands first. Putter emphasized that they are not hard-core in their approach, aiming for a smooth transition for users.
The pilots are running on older laptops that the government has already retired, and can also run on computers that can’t support Windows 11. This shows DAWO’s ability to leverage existing hardware, reducing the need for new hardware investments. However, the developers cautioned against expecting significant savings on the software, stating that “open source software doesn’t cost less, it costs differently.”
The lack of a formal timeline for the project suggests that the development of DAWO is an ongoing process, with the team hoping to release version 1.0 sometime next year. A recent survey by Capgemini found that most large organizations consider complete digital sovereignty unrealistic, highlighting the challenges governments face in their quest to gain greater autonomy in the digital realm.
The Christine Lagarde has warned that Europe risks being cut off if it does not develop its own artificial intelligence.
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DAWO represents a strategic move by the Dutch government towards digital autonomy and security, seeking to reduce dependence on non-European technologies and strengthen the protection of government data. The success of the project could serve as an example for other European countries seeking to strengthen their digital sovereignty.
