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Minisymposium
MS4H - Pathways for Sustaining Long-Term Open Source Projects in Societal Interest
Live streaming
Session Chair
Description
Some of the most critical software and data infrastructure the world relies on is maintained by open source communities. This includes OSs like GNU/Linux, networking tools, software libraries, HPC tools, compilers, data analytics packages, among many others. In open data, we have for example the archives of meticulously recorded weather data across continents and time eras. The fact that these foundational building blocks are freely available as a public good enables a vast range possibilities for the society. Public infrastructure, small and large businesses alike, and research are powered by these projects. This minisymposium will feature different approaches to sustaining open source, open research and open data projects for public or societal interest in the long term. It will feature three talks from very different kinds of organizations to cover a multitude of approaches, from bottom-up alliances between projects, to governmental investment to institutional support. It will conclude with a moderated panel with the three speakers and possibly more to dive deeper into the challenges. Audiences will get to share their inputs and this minisymposium will hopefully open a constructive dialogue between actors in the open source space, researchers, institutions, decision makers among many others.
Presentations
The relevance of open source software is high due to the possibility to foster innovation, reduce licensing cost, improve security and reliability, increase economic benefits, and implement digital sovereignty for Switzerland and Europe. My statements will explain the current state in politics and government and how we can use the full potential of open source communities.
TODO
Most research software is developed by Research Software Engineers (RSEs), who are widely dispersed across the research landscape. The RSE community at ETH Zürich is actively working to foster efficient and effective knowledge exchange among RSEs, promote best practices in academic software development, and encourage the development & adoption of common standards by leveraging synergies across institutions. Sustaining long-term open-source software is a significant challenge, but adherence to best practices in software development can reduce maintenance overhead and make contributions more accessible. This could lead to active and engaged communities that can play a crucial role in ensuring the longevity and impact of open-source projects. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of our ongoing efforts to promote better software development practices, collaboratively develop guidelines within the community, and foster launch of and strengthen connections with RSE initiatives at partner institutions. We will also outline our goal to work towards a Swiss-wide RSE network.
In this panel, we have a moderated discussion with three panelists presenting very different perspectives to sustain long-term open source projects for societal interest. It will take place after their individual talks and will offer opportunities for the audience to engage as well. The objective is to open conversations in the PASC community regarding open source sustainability and shed light on key initiatives at all levels, from public policy, institutions, to the developers themselves. Among the panelists, we have: Prof. Matthias Stürmer, who represents the Parliamentary Committee for Digital Sustainability (ParlDigi) in Switzerland. This body serves as a think tank for policies in the realms of new technologies and comprises members from all the parties of the Swiss parliament. This body is also behind the Swiss Open Source Law (EMBAG). Dr. Julien Bigot, who represents CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) as a team lead of the Science of Computing group and one of the governing board members of HPSF (High Performance Software Foundation). Dr. Tarun Chadha & Dr. Uwe Schmidt represent the Research Software Engineering collective emerging in Switzerland and offer perspectives from bottom-up alliances between the developers of important open source projects in the research ecosystem.