Red Alert: The Looming Loss of NGI Funding and its Impact on European Tech
2024-08-01
The lifeblood of innovation often flows through the veins of funding, and for Europe's thriving open source ecosystem, the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative has been a crucial artery. Now, a shadow of uncertainty hangs over us with the alarming news that NGI is absent from the Horizon Europe working draft for 2025. This potential defunding represents a significant threat not just to the open source community, but to the very future of a digitally sovereign and competitive Europe, as advocated by the EuroStack Initiative
Since 2020, NGI programs, spearheaded by organizations like NLnet, OW2 and others, have championed a vibrant ecosystem of free and open source software projects. These initiatives have done more than simply provide financial support; they have fostered a collaborative spirit, driving the development of essential digital commons that underpin a secure, independent, and innovative European digital infrastructure. They have empowered more than a thousand projects, contributing to standardization and aligning them with critical EU legislation.
Why is NGI Funding so Critical?
The impact of NGI extends far beyond code and technology. As a socitechnical endeavour, it touches the heart of Europe's economic competitiveness and digital autonomy. Here's why its potential disappearance is cause for grave concern, for us and many others:
- Fueling Innovation and Business Growth: NGI has been a catalyst for technological advancements across the board, from fledgling startups to established SMEs. By supporting a diverse range of projects – encompassing open hardware, decentralized technologies, cryptography, digital identities, and more – it has created a fertile ground for innovation to flourish. These technologies are not just abstract concepts; they are the building blocks of a robust and resilient digital economy.
- A Model of Economic Efficiency: NGI's cascade funding model, channeling resources through open calls, has proven remarkably effective. This approach has not only maximized the reach of funding but has also fostered a sense of shared ownership and responsibility within the community. It's a testament to the power of open collaboration and a blueprint for sustainable development.
- Championing European Digital Sovereignty: In an increasingly volatile geopolitical climate, the importance of controlling our digital destiny cannot be overstated. Free and open source software, by its very nature, empowers us to build, maintain, and secure our digital infrastructure on our own terms. It safeguards user privacy, data security, and technological autonomy, while dependence on foreign-controlled technologies exposes us to risks. NGI has been instrumental in this pursuit, ensuring that Europe is not beholden to external forces for its technological needs. Losing it would make Europe vulnerable to coercion, supply chain disruptions, and threats to democracy through data manipulation and surveillance. It would severely weaken Europe's ability to respond to foreign threats, including cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns.
- Building a Collaborative Ecosystem: Like the Erasmus program for education, NGI has fostered a spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing across Europe. This interconnectedness is vital for driving interoperability, promoting the reuse of common solutions, and building a stronger, more resilient digital ecosystem.
- Beyond Subsidies: The Power of Public Procurement: While cascade funding has been highly effective, we must also recognize the power of public procurement as a tool for long-term sustainability. By prioritizing open source solutions in public sector projects, we can create a stable revenue stream for open source developers and drive the adoption of these technologies across Europe. This is not just about funding; it's about building a market for open source and ensuring its long-term viability.
A Call to Reconsider and Reinvest
The potential loss of NGI funding is a short-sighted move that jeopardizes Europe's long-term digital future. We urge the European Commission to reconsider this decision and recognize the vital role that NGI plays in fostering innovation, ensuring digital sovereignty, and building a thriving European digital economy.
Investing in NGI is not simply about supporting a niche community of developers. It's about investing in the future of Europe, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of technological advancement and that our digital infrastructure reflects our values of openness, security, and collaboration.
We need to make our voices heard and ensure that NGI continues to empower a vibrant, open, and sovereign European digital future. Public procurement, alongside subsidies, must be leveraged to achieve these crucial goals. By doing so, we can strengthen the European digital infrastructure, making it more resilient, secure, and aligned with our strategic goals for a truly autonomous digital future.