Open Source Code – „Between West & East”

Abstract

The digital technologies based on digital hardware and software are driving the second in-dustrial revolution; more than 12% of Gross World Product are related to IT. The economy of most European countries is too small to compete with global software companies and digital hardware producers, some of them being under the indirect control of sovereign powers. In this context we underline the necessity of building national software competences in open software components and systems. Nationally developed and controlled operating systems, security software and pro-fessional software seem to be the only way to escape the economic constraints and potential secu-rity threats from external actors.