EU Sovereign Tech Fund Proposed to Support Open Source Software

According to PANews, GitHub's blog highlights the critical role of open-source software as digital infrastructure for both the economy and society, while noting the persistent lack of maintenance funding. GitHub's developer policy team commissioned a feasibility study by Open Forum Europe, Fraunhofer ISI, and the European University Institute to explore expanding the successful model of Germany's sovereign tech agency to the EU level. This initiative aims to establish an 'EU Sovereign Tech Fund' (EU-STF). The study recommends that the fund should focus on investments in open-source dependencies, maintenance, security, improvements, and ecosystem development. It outlines seven design standards for the fund: pooled resources, minimal bureaucracy, political independence, flexible funding, community involvement, strategic alignment, and high transparency. GitHub urges the EU to allocate at least 350 million euros in the 2028-2035 budget, in collaboration with industry and national contributions, to ensure the sustainable development of open-source software and digital sovereignty.