From InnerSource to Open Source - Building a Dual-Focused OSPO in a Traditional Japanese Conglomerate

Learn how Mitsubishi Electric Corporation established a dual-focused Open Source Program Office (OSPO) in 2025 to bridge internal InnerSource practices with external open source collaboration in this 19-minute conference talk. Discover the cultural and organizational challenges faced by a traditional Japanese manufacturer when adopting open development practices, and explore the strategic approach used to gain executive support by positioning the OSPO as responsible for both Open Source and InnerSource initiatives. Understand how InnerSource serves as a stepping stone to open source software by fostering open culture, encouraging modern tool adoption, and identifying reusable assets as potential OSS candidates. Examine the practical model developed to overcome organizational silos through knowledge sharing, issue tracking, and pull request collaboration rather than forced code unification. Gain insights into aligning stakeholders across a large conglomerate and implementing a combined strategy that enables AI-supported reuse and insight discovery while building consensus among business divisions and OSS communities.