Rationale
Today, virtually all software products include Open Source Software components. An increasingly large percentage of crucial software platforms and programs are entirely Open Source. The development and uptake of Open Source Hardware and Open Silicon are growing. The impact of this paradigm shift from proprietary systems to more open, collaborative frameworks is being studied by many.
However, there is no up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of the EU market and key industrial sectors and where we stand in comparison to the rest of the world. The last comprehensive, Europe-wide study on the subject was conducted in 2006 and there are several national initiatives to capture the impact of Open Source such as those in France and Germany.
This study is in support of fact-based policymaking in the future aimed at maximising the benefits of Open for the digital transformation. We have seen this need for many years and discussed several possibilities of conducting such a research. Fraunhofer ISI and OpenForum Europe have been awarded the tender to investigate the impact of Open Source Software and Open Source Hardware by DG CONNECT of the European Commission.
Goals
The ultimate goal of this study is to provide solid evidence for shaping European Open Source policies for the years to come. Based on the review of the existing literature and available data, we consult the relevant stakeholders about their contribution and use of OSS and OSH, but also their impacts on whole industries and society. Eventually, we are interested in identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of Open Source, in particular in relevant ICT areas, such as cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digitizing European industry, the connected car, HPC, Big Data and Distributed Ledger Technologies. The insights of the stakeholder survey will complement the findings from the literature, the analysis of the available data and several case studies. All together, this body of evidence will be used to policy recommendations that can augment and accelerate the benefits of OSS and OSH for a competitive EU software and hardware industry and a sustainable digital transformation of the EU economy.
We are interested in the assessment by experts involved in or responsible for open source projects in your organization. Your individual answers to the questions of the survey will be treated with absolute confidentiality. We will only analyse data on an aggregated level and include it in the final report of this project to be published by the European Commission.
We know about your time constraints, however, we would deeply appreciate your cooperation and your opinions.
In case of questions, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Knut Blind
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
Tel.: +49 (0)30-314-76638
E-Mail: knut.blind@isi.fraunhofer.de
Disclaimer:
This survey is conducted within the framework of “a study on the impact of Open Source Software and Hardware on technological independence, competitiveness and innovation in Europe”. All statements, including this questionnaire, should not be reported as representing the individual or collective views of the consortium partners, being the Fraunhofer Society or its subcontractor. The design, implementation, conclusions, and recommendations of the project are those of the authors only.