OpenEHDS is being developed as a neutral, non-commercial foundation initiative focused on turning EHDS from a legal framework into practical, reusable technical reality.

Mission

OpenEHDS is built on the belief that EHDS infrastructure must be:

• interoperable by design
• privacy-preserving by default
• operationally realistic
• publicly understandable

The initiative also creates a neutral space for dialogue between public institutions, regulators, patient organizations, researchers, and technology stakeholders through open discussion, workshops, and co-creation of reference architectures.

What OpenEHDS builds

Open reference components and architecture patterns, including:

• permit-aware dataset assembly engines
• policy enforcement modules for purpose limitation, opt-out, and legal exceptions
• connectors across health data holders, health data access bodies, and secure processing environments
• audit, logging, and data lineage capabilities
• temporary-data lifecycle mechanisms, including TTL and controlled deletion
• interoperability mappings and transformations aligned with EHDS, FHIR, and future implementing acts

These components are designed to be:

• deployed by health data access bodies
• deployed by trusted health data holders
• adapted to national EHDS implementations
• reused as reference architectures in public procurement

What OpenEHDS does not do

• does not act as a health data access body
• does not host or monetize medical data
• does not operate secure processing environments
• does not replace national or EU governance institutions

OpenEHDS is an enabler, not a system operator.

Governance, neutrality, and trust

OpenEHDS operates as a foundation based on:

• a transparent governance model
• open contribution processes
• public documentation and decision transparency
• clear separation from commercial exploitation of outcomes

The initiative aims to be:

• a credible partner for public institutions
• practical support for healthcare organizations
• a trusted reference point for regulators
• a practical toolset for technology providers

Why OpenEHDS is needed

EHDS provides a legal framework, but not implementation simplicity.

Without shared, open, and auditable components:

• member states will rebuild similar solutions from scratch
• fragmentation will be recreated under a new label
• smaller organizations will be excluded by cost and complexity
• trust in EHDS can be weakened by opaque or closed implementations

OpenEHDS exists to turn EHDS from a legal framework into shared technical reality. It also helps close the EHDS knowledge gap through open educational resources and stakeholder dialogue.

Founders of the Foundation

Tomasz Kulbacki

Co-founder of OpenEHDS Foundation, entrepreneur, and business development leader with over 15 years of experience in the technology, healthcare, and public sectors.

Tomasz specializes in building strategic partnerships, developing interoperable digital ecosystems, and leading technology initiatives at the intersection of healthcare, regulation, and digital transformation. Throughout his career, he has worked with both private and public-sector organisations, supporting large-scale IT, healthcare, and infrastructure projects.

He is currently the CEO of Detable and the owner of IT Design, where he focuses on digital innovation, interoperability, and scalable technology delivery. Previously, he held business development and public-sector leadership roles at companies including Britenet, Philips Lighting Poland, and Simple S.A.

Within OpenEHDS, Tomasz is focused on building practical and interoperable infrastructure aligned with the European Health Data Space (EHDS), with particular emphasis on open-source collaboration, regulatory readiness, and system-level implementation of health data exchange mechanisms across Europe.

He believes that the future of healthcare interoperability in Europe should be built through transparency, reusable infrastructure, and cross-sector collaboration rather than proprietary silos and vendor lock-in.

Ania Adamiak

Co-founder of OpenEHDS Foundation, digital transformation advisor, and strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology, healthcare, innovation, and organizational development.

Ania is the Co-founder and CEO of EENGINE Software House and has led multiple digital transformation and technology initiatives, supporting organizations in building scalable products, improving operational processes, and navigating complex change.

Her background combines technology and business with academic foundations in Evolutionary Biology and an MBA, bringing together scientific thinking, systems perspective, and strategic leadership.

Within OpenEHDS, she focuses on translating EHDS regulatory and interoperability requirements into practical, open, and implementation-ready infrastructure approaches. She strongly advocates for open standards, transparent governance, and open-source collaboration as foundations for trustworthy European health data ecosystems.

Open source presence

• GitHub organization: Open-EHDS on GitHub