Linux Foundation urges European firms to help develop open source
Survey findings show digital sovereignty is important to more than nine in ten organisations, as speakers in Prague call for greater participation.
The Linux Foundation has urged European companies to contribute to open source projects rather than simply use their software, arguing that participation can strengthen technological autonomy. The call came at the Open Source Summit Europe in Prague, organised by the non-profit consortium.
Thierry Carrez, general manager of Linux Foundation Europe, said open source could reduce reliance on individual suppliers or countries. He argued that using the software was not enough to gain effective control: organisations also needed to contribute to development and take part in its governance.
A Linux survey found that digital sovereignty was important to the technology strategies of more than nine in ten organisations. European organisations were making extensive use of open source to gain greater control over their technology, but the foundation identified a gap between adoption and the management arrangements needed to oversee it.
According to the foundation, businesses with advanced governance for open source reported returns averaging more than four times their investment. Those lacking formal governance reported an average of 3.6 times their investment.
The discussions also addressed public-sector cooperation. Johan Linåker, a senior researcher at the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, said open source allowed governments to share technology and components of digital public infrastructure despite political disagreements.
