The dependence of businesses and public administrations on major technology providers has become an increasingly significant strategic concern. Digital sovereignty expert Matthias Stürmer argues that organizations should turn to open-source software.
Digitalization has enabled companies to improve productivity and streamline their processes. By relying on cutting-edge IT solutions, however, Swiss SMEs have become dependent on major players such as Microsoft and Google, which have invested heavily to maintain their lead and strengthen their competitive advantages. Yet Swiss-developed software solutions exist in several fields. Some are built on open standards and offer alternatives to dominant platforms. As geopolitical tensions intensify around the world, experts are encouraging companies and public authorities to strengthen their digital sovereignty, particularly by adopting open-source solutions. Matthias Stürmer, Director of the Institute for Public Sector Transformation at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, explains why this type of software is essential to digital sovereignty.
How can Switzerland strengthen its digital sovereignty?
Matthias Stürmer: Digital sovereignty is achieved through open code, control over data, and the ability to switch providers with flexibility. In most cases, this requires cooperation among different stakeholders across multiple countries. Several Swiss companies, including Infomaniak, Phoenix, and Proton, now offer services and software for email, document sharing, and cloud computing whose technical and operational capabilities compare favorably with those of international technology giants. Public institutions and businesses can therefore choose these solutions today instead of relying on foreign competitors. That said, digital sovereignty does not mean digital self-sufficiency or a market limited solely to domestic providers.
Is Switzerland’s digital technology ecosystem sufficient to meet business demand for IT services?
Stürmer: Not entirely. Investment capacities are nowhere near those of the United States or China. What is currently missing is a single integrated platform capable of meeting all digital needs, largely because developing this kind of software suite is extremely expensive. That is why we are working to bring together Switzerland’s digital technology players, particularly through the Swiss Digital Sovereignty Network. Cooperation is the path that will enable Swiss companies to address a number of these needs. The investments required to develop such tools run into the billions of Swiss francs, putting them beyond the reach of most Swiss businesses.
You advocate the use of open-source software. What does that mean in practice?
Stürmer: It means choosing so-called "open" software rather than proprietary software, where the purchaser pays for the right to use the product but does not gain the right to modify or share it. This approach helps avoid a problem that has become increasingly common: vendor lock-in. This occurs when a provider designs its product to be incompatible with other solutions, making migration difficult or costly. Once that barrier is removed, users are free to choose the provider they wish to work with. This is why open source is such an effective tool for sovereignty. One practical example is the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which has used Linux and LibreOffice as its operating system and office software for more than twenty years. Switzerland’s highest court has also developed OpenJustitia, an open-source software platform for managing judicial case files.
Transitioning to open-source software still requires a significant investment for SMEs.
Stürmer: Yes, but it proves worthwhile in the long term. Moving from proprietary software to open source generally involves substantial costs related to data migration and staff training. In Germany, the state of Schleswig-Holstein recently invested €9 million to transition to OpenDesk, a platform developed by the German Center for Digital Sovereignty in Public Administration. It is worth noting that in Switzerland, the public sector has spent nearly CHF 3 billion on proprietary software licenses over the past ten years.
So the initiative must come from the public sector?
Stürmer: Yes. The State must act as a pioneer. As a major consumer of digital solutions, it has resources and leverage that most private-sector organizations do not possess. But the adoption of sovereign open-source software should not be limited to public authorities. These solutions should then be deployed by local IT companies, which can in turn offer them to their partners and customers.
The Federal Act on the Use of Electronic Means now requires federal authorities to publish as open source any software developed on their behalf. How will this legislation strengthen digital sovereignty?
Stürmer: By enshrining the availability of open-source software in law, the Swiss Confederation enables IT companies, including private firms, to access the source code and reuse it in their own services. Over time, this mechanism encourages market diversification and reduces the risk of dependence on a single provider.
