Astor Nummelin Carlberg
Astor Nummelin Carlberg is OFE’s Executive Director, responsible for the overall vision, activities of the organisation and policy development. He has extensive experience of European policy making processes, communications and network-building. Astor leads conversations on Europe’s digital challenges and the role of open technologies in achieving its full potential. He sits on the board of APELL, the European Open Source Business Association.
Session
Should governments pay for the maintenance of open source software? If so, how should they do it — and how much is enough?
This talk will present the findings of a forthcoming feasibility study conducted by OpenForum Europe, together with Fraunhofer ISI and Professor Thomas Streinz of the European University Institute, on the potential design and impact of an EU Sovereign Tech Fund. The study provides a concrete economic and legal foundation for a structured European investment mechanism in open source software — one that could strengthen cybersecurity, reduce systemic risk, and advance digital sovereignty.
Beyond the technical findings, the presentation will reflect on the policy process itself: what it means to work with governments on digital infrastructure questions, and how the framing of open source as infrastructure is gaining traction in European policymaking. Drawing on OFE’s experience across institutions and Member States, this talk will offer insight into both the substance and the politics of public investment in open digital infrastructure.