GitHub calls for major expansion in open source funding from the EU

GitHub wants the EU to create a Sovereign Tech Fund for OSS maintenance
Microsoft hasn’t committed to any contributions as yet
GitHub says OSS is crucial infrastructure, just like roads

Microsoft-owned developer platform GitHub is urging the European Union to establish a publicly funded Sovereign Tech Fund to support open source software (OSS) maintenance.

GitHub Director of Developer Policy Felix Reda explained in a blog post that open source continues to be underfunded, and that the public sector could get involved to help financially support development.

The proposal is based on a study commissioned by GitHub and conducted by Open Forum Europe, Fraunhofer ISI and the European University Institute, and describes open source software a critical digital infrastructure that economies and societies rely on.

GitHub wants the EU to fund open-source development

Reda, together with the research, noted open source remains underfunded compared with traditional, physical infrastructure like roads, despite contributing €65-95 billion annually to the EU economy, and up to $8.8 trillion globally.

The survey showed one in three open source software maintainers are unpaid, with another one in three unable to make a living solely from their open source work.

As such, GitHub is proposing that the EU adds €350 million to its budget to fund open-source software maintenance. National governments and industries should also contribute to funding, GitHub believes, although the Microsoft-owned company has not volunteered any contributions itself.

GitHub identified five key investment areas, including: identifying critical EU OSS dependencies; investing in OSS maintenance; funding OSS security improvements; supporting project enhancements; and strengthening the overall OSS ecosystem.

Supporting GitHub’s argument, Mercedes-Benz Chief Software Officer Magnus Östberg wrote: “Without sustainable funding and support, it is entirely foreseeable that ever more open source software projects will not receive the diligence and scrutiny appropriate for software of such criticality.”

With the first legislative proposals for the EU budget “hit[ting] the desks” of the European Parliament and the national governments in the Council of Ministers, GitHub is urging the community to voice their support for the Sovereign Tech Fund.