What we learned at ContainerDays Hamburg 2025: a conference recap
By Cyso Cloud
onLast week, our team travelled to Hamburg to participate in ContainerDays, a focused gathering that positioned itself as the antithesis to large-scale conferences like KubeCon.
“What we discovered was a carefully curated environment where container enthusiasts and cloud native practitioners could engage in meaningful technical discussions without the overwhelming scale and corporate marketing that often dominates larger events.” Says Platform Engineer Thomas Jansema.
A concentrated community of container experts
ContainerDays Hamburg delivered precisely what its name promised: an intensive exploration of container technologies and cloud native operations. The event attracted what could best be described as a concentrated community of technical practitioners, each bringing genuine expertise and passion for the container ecosystem.
Unlike the massive scale of KubeCon, which can accommodate tens of thousands of attendees, ContainerDays maintained an intimate scale of approximately 10% of KubeCon's visitor numbers. This deliberate sizing created an environment where technical depth took precedence over breadth, and where meaningful conversations could flourish without the noise of excessive corporate positioning.
The technical programme: beyond surface-level discussions
The conference's technical programme demonstrated a clear commitment to practical, implementable insights rather than theoretical overviews. Several sessions stood out for their technical information and immediate applicability:
"Beyond the Limits" emerged as a standout presentation, focusing on the practical challenges of scaling Kubernetes controllers. The session provided actionable insights into controller architecture and performance optimisation that resonated with multiple team members.
Next Generation Platform Engineering offered valuable perspectives on how platform engineering continues to evolve, addressing real-world implementation challenges that organisations face when building internal developer platforms.
The programme also featured coverage of emerging technologies including KubeVirt for virtual machine orchestration, OpenTelemetry for observability standardisation, and discussions around European cloud sovereignty initiatives.
Discover our Managed Kubernetes ServiceEmerging European cloud trends
Throughout the conference, several significant trends became apparent:
Scalability within Kubernetes continues to dominate technical discussions, with practitioners seeking solutions for increasingly complex deployment scenarios and resource management challenges.
Open standards and observability are gaining unprecedented attention, with OpenTelemetry emerging as a critical component in modern monitoring and observability strategies.
European cloud initiatives and digital sovereignty represent a growing concern for organisations seeking to maintain data residency and regulatory compliance within European jurisdictions.
Perhaps most significantly, there's been a notable shift in focus from platform infrastructure to application-layer solutions. The container platform itself is becoming commoditised, with innovation moving toward what organisations build and deploy on top of these foundations.
The value of focused technical gatherings
“ContainerDays Hamburg validated an important principle: smaller, focused technical conferences can deliver disproportionate value compared to their larger counterparts. The reduced scale facilitated deeper technical discussions, more accessible networking opportunities, and a genuine sense of community among attendees.” Explains Manager Business Development Martijn Wokke.
The absence of extensive corporate marketing allowed for more authentic exchanges of technical knowledge and practical experience. This created an environment where practitioners could engage with real challenges and solutions rather than navigating through vendor positioning and product pitches.
Jelmer Steenhuis / Tech Lead DeliveryStrategic implications for container adoption
For organisations evaluating container and Kubernetes strategies, ContainerDays reinforced several critical considerations:
The container ecosystem continues to mature rapidly, with new standards and practices emerging regularly. Staying connected to community developments very much essential for maintaining competitive technical capabilities.
Scalability and observability aren't afterthoughts but fundamental requirements that must be designed into container architectures from the beginning.
European regulatory requirements are driving technical decisions, with organisations increasingly seeking solutions that provide both innovation and compliance within European legal frameworks.
The evolution toward application-focused thinking suggests that organisations should prioritise understanding what they're building on container platforms, not just how to operate the platforms themselves.
Team collaboration and knowledge sharing
Beyond the technical content, the shared experience of attending ContainerDays as a team proved invaluable. The opportunity to process new information collectively, discuss implementation possibilities in real-time, and build stronger working relationships outside the office environment created lasting value that extended well beyond the conference sessions themselves.
Mick Jonker / DevOps EngineerThe collaborative approach to learning and development reinforces the importance of investing in team experiences that combine professional development with relationship building.
Looking forward: the container ecosystem's continued evolution
ContainerDays Hamburg served as both an educational experience and a strategic reminder: the container and Kubernetes ecosystem remains in constant motion.
The conference demonstrated that focused, community-driven events continue to play a crucial role in advancing technical knowledge and fostering the collaborative relationships that drive innovation in the container space.
With ContainerDays London scheduled for February 11-12, 2026, we might already have our next gathering on the calendar.
Schedule a free meeting
