freedom

Call for student proposals for the Google Summer Code 2019

Google Summer of Code is a global program focused on introducing students to open source software development. Students work on a 3 month programming project with an open source organization during their break from university. Since its inception in 2005, the program has brought together almost 13,000 student participants from over 114 countries worldwide. Google … Read more

Huawei case demonstrates importance of Free Software for security

The discussion of the Huawei security concerns showcases a general trust issue when it comes to critical infrastructure. A first step to solve this problem is to publish the code under a Free and Open Source Software licence and take measures to facilitate its independently-verifiable distribution. The ongoing debate about banning Huawei hardware for the … Read more

Dare to rethink your city. Be part of a Smarter Europe.

The European cities Paris, Amsterdam and Barcelona have been named among the top 10 Smart Cities worldwide. They are transforming their urban environments through technology by using data to connect, digitalise and make their cities future proof. The European Union can help you transform your city too! The European Commission, through the CEF Digital programme, … Read more

Cities agree on minimal interoperability mechanisms

Over a hundred European cities have agreed on ‘Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms’ defining the communication between software programmes and building blocks to allow co-creation and sharing of services. The MIMs, advocated by the Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) initiative, are “simple steps towards using new technology”, OACS chairman Martin Brynskov said on Thursday. “The MIM … Read more

Greece robotics competition targets open source software and hardware

Universities and teachers across Greece are encouraging the country’s young schoolchildren to experiment with open source software and hardware. The Panhellenic Open Robotics Competition also encourages school students and their teachers to work together, and aims to create open educational resources. The competition was launched late last year. At the end of December, the organisers … Read more

In January, the EU starts running Bug Bounties on Free and Open Source Software

FOSSA Bug Bounties In January, the EU is launching bug bounties on Free Software projects to increase the security of the Internet! Tweet this! In January the European Commission is launching 14 out of a total of 15 bug bounties on Free Software projects that the EU institutions rely on. A bug bounty is a … Read more

Data on open collaboration

Figures on availability of scientific APIs, open code policies, citizen science projects as well as case studies. What is open collaboration? Open scientific collaboration refers to the forms of collaboration in the course of the scientific process that do not fit under open data and open publications. It includes different type of outputs such as open code, … Read more

More revenue, new jobs: Basque Country open source ICT sector grows 8%

In the past year, ICT companies in the Basque Country in Spain that specialise in free and open source software report a revenue growth of 8 percent – much higher than the autonomous region’s average – according to a member survey by ESLE, the region’s trade group for these ICT service providers. “This year’s growth … Read more

European cities reuse Madrid’s open source citizen participation solution

Consul, the citizen participation platform shared as open source by the city of Madrid (Spain), is being implemented in 18 countries across the world. In Spain, Consul is used by over 40 villages, towns and cities. In Europe, Consul is also used by Paris and Aude (France), Turin (Italy), and Tirana (Albania), while Madrid has … Read more

Germany funds open source security check for SMEs

Germany’s federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has been funding a 26-month project to help small and medium-sized companies avoid IT security issues when using open source content management systems. The project started in September 2016 and will end in November this year. The project is now looking for sponsors to continue the online … Read more