Shared Findings on Open Source Adoption in the EU (Governments) and the US (Higher Education)

Both the Linux Foundation's EU report (Open Source as Europe's Strategic Advantage) and the Apereo Foundation's US Higher Ed report (OSSHE Preliminary Report) reveal strikingly parallel insights on the widespread use of open source software (OSS) — yet a lack of strategic coordination and institutional maturity around its deployment and support.*

1. Widespread OSS Adoption but Lack of Formal Strategy

EU (Governments & Industry):

• Only 34% of European organizations have a formal OSS strategy.
• Just 22% have an Open Source Program Office (OSPO).
• Despite 69% believing OSS makes them more competitive, many rely passively on OSS without structured governance.

US (Higher Education):

• While 59% report OSS in active production and 74% engage as end-users, 66% of institutions report having no formal IT strategy for OSS.
• Open source is considered crucial for unique academic and research needs (75%), yet most institutions do not align usage with broader institutional planning.

Shared Insight: OSS is widely used but remains tactically deployed, not strategically guided — creating fragmentation, missed opportunities, and long-term sustainability risks.

2. OSS is Recognized as Valuable, Yet Underfunded

EU (Governments & Industry):

• 81% of companies that employ full-time OSS contributors see high value, but only 28% make such investments.
• OSS is seen as vital for digital sovereignty, yet investment lags behind strategic need.

US (Higher Education):

• Campus leaders acknowledge OSS meets unique academic needs, yet institutional investment has remained flat since 2007.
• OSS support roles (e.g., development, maintenance) are filled, but strategic or financial prioritization is low.

Shared Insight: There is a gap between perceived value and actual investment in OSS — both sectors underinvest in the projects they depend on.

3. Leadership Awareness and Cultural Gaps

EU (Governments & Industry):

• Only 62% of C-suite leaders understand OSS value, compared to 86% of non-C-level staff.
• Lack of legal, compliance, and ROI understanding is a barrier to strategic engagement.

US (Higher Education):

• While technical staff, faculty, and researchers are increasingly involved with OSS, strategic leadership lacks awareness and/or alignment.
• Campuses are investing in OSS roles (system admins, developers, help desk), but are not investing in institutional policy (procurement, IP transfer, etc.) or institutional strategy (digital transformation, self-organizing teams)

Shared Insight: Both constituencies face leadership-level blind spots. Without strategic champions, OSS remains organizationally undervalued.

4. Growing Regulatory and Policy Awareness

EU (Governments & Industry):

• Policies such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the AI Act are increasing pressure on OSS projects.
• There's demand for EU-level bodies to fund and maintain critical OSS, modeled after Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency.

US (Higher Education):

• Regulatory and risk awareness are growing (e.g., via Synopsys reports), but institutions are slow to adopt governance frameworks for OSS dependencies.

Shared Insight: Regulatory shifts are pushing both public institutions and higher ed to rethink OSS governance, but proactive frameworks are lagging.

5. A Role for Coordinating Organizations

These findings underscore the strategic need for organizations like the Linux Foundation and Apereo to:

• Help bridge the gap between tactical OSS use and long-term strategy.
• Provide education, frameworks, and leadership alignment tools (e.g., OSPO development).
• Offer policy guidance and regulatory preparedness in sectors where OSS adoption is high but maturity is low.

Conclusion

The convergence of these two studies reveals a clear message: open source is mission-critical — whether in European governments or US higher education — but both lack the strategies, investments, and institutional coordination to fully harness its potential.

Organizations like the Linux Foundation and Apereo are uniquely positioned to fill these strategic gaps:

1. Identifying trends
2. Building ecosystems
3. Standardizing practices
4. Educating decision-makers
5. Advocating for funding and sustainability models

This alignment across continents and sectors shows that OSS is not just a technical concern — it's a matter of strategic infrastructure. As such, coordinated efforts will be vital to ensuring that the OSS ecosystems continue to thrive and evolve.

Are you interested in collaborating with Apereo on open source adoption and development in higher education? 

Contact community@apereo.org to learn more about the next stage of the OSSHE report and how you can get involved. 

* It is important to note that the Apereo report represents a pilot study, developed to explore the feasibility and potential value of a more comprehensive examination of open source in U.S. higher education. The data presented are preliminary, offering early insights into institutional behaviors, perceptions, and strategic gaps. While the findings align meaningfully with broader trends observed in the EU context, the report itself acknowledges that further, more expansive research is warranted. As such, its conclusions should be considered exploratory rather than definitive, serving as a valuable foundation for deeper analysis and continued investigation.