Open Internet Stack Sovereign Solutions (RIA)

Expected Outcome:

The overall expected outcome is a large selection of Open-Source solutions that will be organised under the Open Internet Stack framework built under WP 2025. This will address the needs of both supply and demand side of the rich and diverse eco-system of 3C European providers and verticals. This topic will stimulate the emergence at European and global scale of solutions that are:

• Open source and made in Europe, supporting trust, and sovereignty, and delivering credible alternative choices for citizens, governments and companies including start-ups and SMEs.
• Paced for easy deployment by the rich European eco-systems of providers, integrators and verticals.
• Interoperable, standard-based, decentralised solutions for enabling network effect.

Scope:

Proposals should address one or several of the following technology areas:

• Network and Transport technologies including for example routing and virtual private networks, survivable mesh technologies.
• Sovereign operating systems and firmware (including smartphones).
• Open Source software productivity and supply chain technologies such as federated forges, independent and cross-platform development framework.

Applicants should devise a plan for ensuring that the solutions are designed for efficient deployment, with pre-configured, modular components that facilitate integration by a wide range of users, including SMEs, public administrations, research and education and service providers.

Applicants should detail development, integration, testing, deployment, uptake and operation activities. Focus will be on Open Source solutions and their integration and adoption in vertical use cases, to ensure replicability of the results and portability in different areas.

Proposals are expected to demonstrate:

• That the proposed solution(s) has(ve) the technical maturity in terms of scalability, resiliency, advanced cryptographic protection (e.g. against emerging quantum threats via post-quantum cryptography), alignment with standards including for software and hardware supply chain and efficiency including environmental.
• That there is a community with critical mass that actively supports the development with or without associated business model.
• Evidence of use cases, interest and engagement from users and deployers of the solution.
• Credible path to be part of the Open Internet Stack in terms of cataloguing, searchability, availability through app-stores and alignment with EU regulation.

Applicants should detail any relevant previous projects on which the project will expand.

Applicants should detail their plan to creating synergies with other topics such as those in the WP25 Open Internet Stack, 3C, Virtual Worlds/Web4.0 as well as like-minded initiatives on the same solution perimeter.

Proposals should also detail their strategy for maintenance, cataloguing, marketing, communication as well as the relationship with to the “Open Internet Stack Support for Scale” topic.

Beneficiaries that intend to transfer ownership or grant an exclusive licence must formally notify the granting authority (i.e. DG-CNECT and HaDEA) before the intended transfer or licensing takes place and the granting authority may up to four years after the end of the action object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results.

Financial support to third parties

If applicants opt for financial support to third parties, they should primarily target calls towards internet innovators and adopters of Open Source technologies. Applicants should provide the programme logic for the third-party projects, managing the projects lifecycle, and provide the necessary technical and non-technical support: these tasks cannot be implemented using the budget earmarked for the financial support to third parties.