Why Shaping Open Standards Matters

It sets the steps that ensure the software built on it works as intended and interoperates properly with the rest of the ecosystem.When these standards are open, feasible to implement, developed through transparent processes, they become a shared resource. For independent open source maintainers, it is frequently a barrier they cannot overcome.We recently ran a survey with open source maintainers that the Sovereign Tech Agency has worked with before, and it confirmed many of our assumptions: engagement with standards is widespread, so is the reliance on them, but sustained participation is less so. When asked about training needs, maintainers were broadly comfortable with SDO rules and the underlying technology, but nearly 40% indicated they would need mentoring-level support to navigate the internal processes of standards bodies. We believe that meaningful support for the people who shape open standards is long overdue, and we are currently developing a pilot program to bring open source maintainers into the standards process in a structured and sustained way.We are now running a wider survey, open to the public and intended for all maintainers who work with or alongside standards. News 27 Feb 2025 Read article: AI Sovereignty Starts with Open Infrastructure The AI Action Summit in Paris highlighted Europe's commitment to trusted and sovereign AI. The Sovereign Tech Agency emphasized that true technological sovereignty requires significant investment in open digital infrastructure—critical yet often overlooked—ensuring AI remains accessible, competitive, and not dominated by a few powerful players.