Why Nextcloud is calling for an EU Sovereign Tech Fund. 
Nextcloud is joining dozens of other organizations in urging EU policymakers to establish a €350M fund to secure Europe’s digital infrastructure.
Here’s what’s at stake.
The challenge
Open source software forms the invisible backbone of Europe’s digital infrastructure. Yet the maintenance and security of these foundational technologies remain severely underfunded.
Over time, chronic under-investment in open source software maintenance can lead to increased systemic exposure to risk, leaving governments, businesses, and citizens vulnerable to security threats, supply chain disruptions, and vendor lock-in.
The solution
We must diversify the pool of funding available to open source projects and maintainers.
Building on Germany’s successful Sovereign Tech Agency, an EU Sovereign Tech Fund would provide mission-driven investment to maintain and secure critical open source components, libraries, and packages as digital infrastructure.
Such funding is essential to Europe’s digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, and competitiveness.
We’re calling on:
→ EU Co-Legislators: Prioritize the EU-STF in the 2028-2034 MFF
→ Member States: Commit to pooled financing
Open source components are structurally important for Europe’s functioning infrastructure, economy and digital independence. Not all these underlying tools have a viable independent business model and we can’t build our future on volunteer contributions. Reliable, long term support is needed.
Through targeted investment in open source sustainability, Europe can prevent future crises, reduce strategic dependencies, and ensure its digital transformation reflects the values of openness, collaboration, and shared prosperity.
Now is not the time to be complacent, it is the time to act.
Read the full letter: https://lnkd.in/dWhv73gs
Policy primer: https://lnkd.in/egY4Se6Q