The Linux Foundation Initiates "World of Open Source" Research Series

Key executives to discuss the state of open source initiatives at KubeCon Europe this week

VALENCIA, Spain, May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Linux Foundation, a global nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today launches the World of Open Source research series with its initial focus on the European community. The initiative will be championed by LF Research in collaboration with several European distribution and research partners. Furthermore, key executives of the Linux Foundation and partners will be speaking at KubeCon in Valencia, Spain this week as they kickstart the research series and meet with the extended open source and cloud native communities.

The Supporting the Flourishing European Open Source Ecosystem birds-of-a-feather session will be hosted on Thursday,19 May at 14:30 CEST by Gabriele Columbro (Executive Director of FINOS), Hilary Carter (VP, Linux Foundation Research), Astor Nummelin Carlberg (CEO, OpenForum Europe), and Matthew Dunderdale (Delivery Principal, Scott Logic). KubeCon Europe is one of the largest open source developer events hosted on the continent each year.

"FINOS is one of the most globally distributed entities under the Linux Foundation and we are truly excited to support this deep research initiative backed by so many respected institutions across the EU, UK, and Switzerland", said Gabriele Columbro, Executive Director of FINOS. "A clear European perspective will enhance how we forge deeper collaboration across the FINOS community and will shed new light on cross-border challenges like cybersecurity and sustainability that are important to the Linux Foundation and the open source ecosystem at large."

"Scott Logic is a UK-based consultancy who, alongside our peers, have greatly benefited from the plethora of open source tools and technologies that have recently emerged. However, our collective reliance on open source can reveal the sometimes fragile nature of community-run digital commons. We are delighted to partner with Linux Foundation to better understand the state of open source in Europe", said Colin Eberhardt, CTO of Scott Logic. "Armed with the research findings, our goal is to ensure everyone can capitalize on the amazing innovations happening within open source and that our 'digital commons' are sustained for the long-term".

"OpenForum Europe is pleased to partner with the Linux Foundation to promote this timely research series and upcoming survey on the state of open source in Europe. Open source software has already been shown to boost the European economy by between EUR 65 to 95 billion annually and to have positive effects on the number of startups and SME growth. As the EU and its Member States continue to invest in digital transformation, better understanding will allow the EU to further benefit from the innovative power of open source software."

About the World of Open Source Research series

The World of Open Source series will explore the state of open source from a global perspective, focusing on government, enterprise, and non-profit initiatives. The research initiative kicks off on Wednesday, 18 May with a "World of Open Source: 2022 Europe Spotlight" survey.

The European open source survey will investigate ecosystem-wide trends, including: (1) the size and scope of the open source communities in the region, (2) the motivation for contributions to open source, (3) opportunities and challenges in the private and public sector engagement in open source, and (4) the landscape for consumption and adoption of open source technologies and best practices, such as open source program office (OSPO) formation. This project will seek to understand key opportunities for collaboration and perceived challenges in the European open source community across sectors for decision-makers and influencers alike.

Funded by the Linux Foundation, this research will be led by LF Research in collaboration with FINOS, LF Training & Certification, and LF Public Health. Additional support will be provided by several organizations across the non-profit, for-profit, and academic sectors including: Codemotion, Esade, Friedrich Alexander University, Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques (IGOP) de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, OpenForum Europe, Sailboard, Scott Logic, TU/Berlin, TU/Eindhoven, TODO Group Europe Chapter, Università di Roma Tre, and the University of Southampton.

This research further expands the Linux Foundation's investment in fostering a flourishing local European ecosystem which already supports critical intra- and inter-region open source collaborations, training, and events. The Linux Foundation will reveal the survey results at Open Source Summit Europe, in Dublin, Ireland, to be hosted 13 - 16 September.

Additional Resources

• Attend the Birds of a Feather session at KubeCon in Valencia (Spain) on Thursday, 18 May at 14:30 CEST to learn more about the "World Of Open Source" research series
• Contact us about Linux Foundation activities in Europe
• Register for Open Source Summit Europe

About the Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation and its projects are supported by more than 1,800 members. The Linux Foundation is the world's leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Linux Foundation projects are critical to the world's infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, Hyperledger, RISC-V, and more. The Linux Foundation's methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

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