As part of the Open MemoryLab project, funded by the European Union, the Finnish region of South Savo is working to determine what support the companies of the region would need for adoption and use of Open Source Software (OSS). The project aims to foster systematic uptake of OSS and innovation as well as to improve collaboration between the public sector and businesses.
“It is important for us to first understand what struggles and needs regional companies are having regarding adoption and use of open-source software,” says Sami Jantunen, project manager of Open MemoryLab from South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.
In the short term, the identified needs are addressed by offering support, training, and co-learning for leveraging Open Source solutions in business development and organisational strategy. Further down the road, the project’s wider objective is to foster OSS usage systematically and to help regional companies and public offices to adapt to the changing digital landscape. To this end, the gathered experiences are distilled towards a plan for establishing an open source competence centre in the Finnish region of South Savo, with collaborative ties to relevant national and international networks. The competence centre is to be in the city of Mikkeli.
"Establishing an open-source competence centre in South Savo is a brilliant and forward-thinking initiative. It addresses a vital need to bridge the knowledge gap in open-source software adoption and usage, empowering local businesses and public offices to harness the full potential of OSS in driving innovation, collaboration, and cost-effectiveness" comments Timo Väliharju, Executive Director of the Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions (COSS).
Open MemoryLab started in October 2022 and is scheduled to run until the end of 2023. It is coordinated by South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences XAMK and supported by The Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions (COSS) and local businesses. The funding is organised and supported by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and Environment of South Savo, the European Social Fund and REACT-EU.