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While open source plays a critical role in driving European innovation and competitiveness, its recognition by political and business leaders has not kept pace with it. Time has come to bring the deserved spotlight on the open source community in Europe.

OpenForum Europe is honoured to announce its participation in the establishment of the European Open Source Academy and European Open Source Awards. 

Powered by the OSAwards.eu, a new project funded by the European Union, the European Open Source Academy and Awards will celebrate European excellence in open source and put the spotlight on the critical role of open source technologies in strengthening Europe’s economy and in securing its digital future. 

The European Open Source Academy 

Modelled after the world’s most prestigious scientific academies, such as the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences which presents the Nobel prizes, the European Open Source Academy will stand as a beacon of technological infrastructure and innovation. Its core mission is to illuminate the strategic value of open source for European businesses and policymakers. 

Establishing a long-standing and sustainable institution to promote open source technologies in Europe, the Academy will embody and promote the following values: 

• Excellence: The Academy and Awards will promote excellence in the European open source field, from code contribution to business models and policy advocacy, celebrating individuals and projects that have contributed to a thriving and innovative open source community in Europe. 
• Learning: The Academy will provide an avenue to ensure a thriving open source community and build the next generation of open source contributors and innovators, through its focus on open source skills and education. With an added focus on continuous open source learning, the Academy will help close the gap between the broader open source community and the use of open source in Europe’s industrial and public sectors. 
• Sustainability: Sustainability is at the core of the establishment of the Academy. Both in the sense of establishing an enduring institution, and in the sense of ensuring that the Academy is focused on contributing to the sustainability of open source development and maintenance. Including by highlighting the importance of funding for open source, and encouraging policymakers and business leaders to invest in open source.

The European Open Source Awards 

A highlight of this new EU-funded project, and one of the main focuses of the European Open Source Academy, will be the convening of the annual European Open Source Awards. The Awards will honour European excellence in the open source field. Through this unique and prestigious annual event, the Academy will lead the European open source community in celebrating and honouring those individuals and projects who have significantly contributed to the understanding, growth, adoption, and regulation of open source software and open hardware in Europe. 

This landmark establishment represents a significant stride in recognising open source as a fundamental pillar of Europe’s competitive economy and digital future. To mark the launch of the European Open Source Awards, the inaugural ceremony will be the unique occasion to recognise leading European open source experts who have highly contributed to an innovative and impactful open source field in Europe. To celebrate these contributions, the inaugural ceremony will feature: the European Open Source Achievement Award, the Open Source Business & Impact Award, the Open Source Skills & Education Award, and the Open Source Advocacy & Awareness award. 

The inaugural ceremony will take place in the heart of the EU, in Brussels, on the evening of 30 January 2025 and will welcome open source experts alongside Europe’s policy and business leaders. 

The first laureates of the European Open Source Awards and the founding members of the European Open Source Academy, will soon be announced. Make sure to follow the Academy on social media to stay up to date and know when the first Academy cohort is  announced!