Free Open Source Software for SMEs Erasmus Project

Project Title

Free Open Source Software for SMEs

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Context/background of the project:Digital technologies and software may be quite expensive, unsecure and not customisable to specific needs of users. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can offer an alternative: anyone is freely licensed to use FOSS, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared. The benefits of using FOSS can include decreasing software costs, increasing security and stability (especially in regard to malware), protecting privacy, avoiding lockup in commercial solutions and giving users more control over their own hardware. Open source therefore brings several benefits for European SMEs, so it is necessary to equip them with the skills and competences necessary to make good and efficient use of FOSS. According to our findings, there were no studies, researches or surveys available, focused specifically on the use of FOSS by European SMEs. This is the reason why the present project focused on European skill gaps and delivered tailored outcomes.Objectives:The project intended to equip European SMEs with the skills and competences to properly use Free and Open Source Software, so to improve their digital performances and competitiveness. The project also aimed to facilitate recognition and transferability of competences, thus mobility, by implementing the ECVET system to the professional profile of the FOSS Business User (FOSS-BU).Number and type/profile of participants:The target audience of the FOSS4SMEs was mainly SMEs (210), public administrations, policy makers (40), organisations and individuals. Incubator centres, enterprise agencies, chambers of commerce and start-up organisations on national and international levels were also contacted in order to reach as many SMEs as possible. (120) Stakeholders, including awarding bodies, professional bodies and associations with a significant and relevant membership, research centres were engaged and helped the project reach even larger audiences. The overall reach out of the project is estimated to 7,000 people.Description of undertaken activities:Firstly, a desktop research necessary for the ECVET curriculum and a field research with a training gaps and motivation analysis were conducted. Based on these results the partners designed the curriculum of the FOSS Business User, which served as a basis for the development of O2. In the second phase, the team worked on the development of the training course (5 units), its translation in national languages (GR, IT, DE) and the development of the distant learning tools, namely the FOSS4SMEs platform. In parallel the team conducted assessment activities, and involved SMEs in short training activities. Similarly, VET providers have also provided their feedback. In the last phase the team worked on the policy recommendations, which were presented to the general public (mainly policy makers) during the final international conference in Brussels.Results and impact attained:The tangible results of the FOSS4SMES project are:1. The definition of the ECVET curriculum of FOSS Business user, with a reference curriculum that allows international recognition of skills and competences.2. The vocational education and training (VET) course for managers and staff of existing and start-up SMEs on how to use FOSS in their business activities, hosted on a distant learning platform and freely available to individual students as open educational resource. The project allows them uptake the open software digital transformation. The course can be used by public and private bodies providing support, consultancy and training to businesses, which will be able to organise training courses using the results of the project.3. The Policy Recommendation Report addressed to decision-makers and VET providers to promote digital migration to FOSS among European SMEs. Longer-term benefits:Besides individual people and organisations participating in the project, the FOSS4SMEs initiative managed to promote a change of approach to ICT within European SMEs. In line with the uptake of the sharing and collaborative economy, open source was presented as a form of usage of ICT that entails a change of patterns, from simple consumption to contribution (as open source requires contributing to the code development and usage).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 212196 Eur

Project Coordinator

ATLANTIS ENGINEERING AE & Country: EL

Project Partners

• FREE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION EUROPE E.V.
• TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY DUBLIN
• OFE LIMITED
• HOGSKOLAN I SKOVDE
• European Digital Learning Network