DSpace 9.0 and Beyond: What's next for DSpace

DSpace 9.0 is due to be released in May 2025. This presentation will discuss the new features and improvements to the DSpace platform that arrive in 9.0, including major performance enhancements, accessibility improvements, and upgrades to Bootstrap 5 and Angular 18. The exact set of features released with version 9.0 will be announced in May. We'll briefly discuss the ongoing maintenance releases for both 8.x and 7.6.x, including which improvements have been backported from the 9.0 development processes. In addition, we'll provide a brief update to the community on the early roadmap to DSpace 10.0, due in May 2026. This may include brief updates on the potential merger of DSpace-CRIS back into DSpace, as well as other DSpace Steering priorities for the 10.0 release. A separate panel session will discuss this potential merger in greater detail. With a view to supporting the development of DSpace 10.0 and future versions of DSpace, , we'll conclude by providing a brief overview of current and planned DSpace community activities, along with ways that institutions can get involved or support DSpace by becoming a member or contributor.