European Companies Urged to Play a More Active Role in Open Source Software Development

At the recent Open Source Summit Europe, speakers urged European companies to take a more active role in the maintenance and development of open source technology to help foster digital sovereignty. Thierry Carrez, General Manager of the Linux Foundation Europe, highlighted that open source technology provides organizations a way to reduce dependence on any single vendor or country. A recent survey by the Linux Foundation revealed that over 90% of organizations consider digital sovereignty important to their technology strategy, with many European organizations relying heavily on open source technology to gain greater control over their technology stack. While startups are playing an active role in developing open source software, the foundation noted a divide between the use of open source and the governance structures needed to oversee it. Companies with advanced open source governance reported an average return of more than four times their investment, compared to 3.6 times for those without formal governance structures. Carrez emphasized that merely consuming open source does not provide effective control over technology; by contributing upstream and participating in open governance, European organizations can achieve greater autonomy. This call to action comes as the EU makes policy bets on open source through the Tech Sovereignty Package and Cyber Resilience Act.