Project description
Open-source hardware: a step towards Europe’s digital independence
Rather than a slogan, GOIT is an EU-funded project forming part of the overall European effort to tackle the sky-high costs and accompanying challenges of IT hardware development. Its particular focus is on European-made open-source silicon chips that would render digital technology in EU less expensive and vulnerable to international political and economic shocks. The concept behind this project is to ensure sovereignty and security of EU countries’ digital infrastructure and potentially mark a new dawn in the continent’s digital technology history by activating all relevant stakeholders from passionate individuals to large manufacturers and national & EU institutions and policymakers.
Objective
Europe's IT hardware development is constantly challenged by outrageously expensive development tools, legal constraints like NDAs or patents, lock-in threats, dependency from external vendors or supply chains and foreign political events. Europe’s digital infrastructure (from consumer to critical appliances) is heavily relying on foreign closed-source chips which are literally black-boxes which may (and have been proven to) contain malicious features. This situation makes the hardware development expensive and inefficient, and undermines the very principle of sovereignty, resilience and re-usability. Open-source silicon chips, which are open in their entirety, i.e. down to the physical layout, carry the potential of catapulting Europe into a renaissance of digital technology. Several challenges are on the way, many of which will require the participation of the stakeholders (from the fertile ground made of “nerdy” hobbyists and makers who are the early protagonists of the scene, all the way up to large enterprises), as well as the participation of policymakers and regulatory bodies. The road ahead is steep, but rich of rewards. Therefore we loudly say: Go IT!
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
1006 Riga
Latvia