We Need a European Sovereign Tech Fund
9 months ago
- #EU-policy
- #funding
- #open-source
- Open source software is critical infrastructure but remains underfunded.
- GitHub's developer policy team is working with policymakers and industry to address the funding gap.
- A study explores scaling Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency model to the EU level.
- Open source contributes significantly to the global and EU economies but lacks sufficient maintenance funding.
- Many open source maintainers are unpaid or underpaid, leading to risks in security and sustainability.
- GitHub supports open source through initiatives like GitHub Sponsors and the Secure Open Source Fund.
- The proposed EU Sovereign Tech Fund (EU-STF) aims to invest in critical open source dependencies, maintenance, security, and ecosystem strengthening.
- The study suggests two institutional setups for the EU-STF: a centralized EU institution or a consortium of member states.
- Key design criteria for the EU-STF include pooled financing, low bureaucracy, political independence, flexible funding, community focus, strategic alignment, and transparency.
- The EU is currently negotiating its multi-year budget for 2028-2035, presenting an opportunity to establish the EU-STF.
- Support from industry partners like Mercedes-Benz highlights the importance of sustainable open source funding.
- Individuals and organizations can advocate for the EU-STF by engaging with EU policymakers and participating in community discussions.