Recently, an important research finding has emerged regarding the issue of insufficient funding for the maintenance of Open Source software. It is reported that GitHub's developer policy team commissioned several well-known European institutions to conduct a feasibility study aimed at exploring how to promote the successful model of Germany's sovereign technology institutions at the EU level.

Research findings indicate that Open Source software is the cornerstone of today's digital economy, and its importance is self-evident. However, this field has long faced the dilemma of funding shortages. To address this, the research team proposed the establishment of the "EU Sovereign Technology Fund" (EU-STF), hoping to provide continuous and stable support for the open source ecosystem through this mechanism.

The investment focus of this fund will cover multiple key aspects of Open Source software, including dependency management, daily maintenance, security hardening, functional improvements, and the overall ecosystem development. The research team has also proposed seven core design standards for the operation of the fund, emphasizing the establishment of a funding pool, streamlined bureaucratic processes, political independence, flexible funding mechanisms, broad community participation, alignment with strategic goals, and high transparency.

It is worth noting that GitHub has made a clear call to the European Union, recommending an investment of at least 350 million euros in the budget cycle from 2028 to 2035 to support this initiative. At the same time, GitHub also advocates for other industry participants and governments to jointly contribute funding, forming a multi-party coalition of financial sources to ensure the long-term development of Open Source software and Europe's digital sovereignty.

If this initiative can be successfully implemented, it will inject new vitality into the Open Source community and is expected to solve the long-standing funding problems that have plagued this field, thus promoting the healthy development of the entire digital ecosystem. As discussions deepen, the future development direction of open source software will undoubtedly become the focus of attention for the tech community and policymakers.