What is an OSPO & how are we creating one at UCL?

Much of our research runs thanks to open source software! Our university infrastructure also depends on open source tools. However, this is usually forgotten and considered as a given. We do not even know how much we depend on it. Equally, we know very little about the social, research, and economic impact that the open source code generated within universities has.

An Open Source Programme Office (OSPO) is a body within an organisation to look after their open source strategy and operations. OSPOs has been widely adopted in the commercial world, governmental institutions and world organisations. More recently, various academic and research institutions have also found the value of having OSPOs.
Though the goals of organisations across these domains differ when establishing an OSPO, they create a fabric that helps those organisations to collaborate and combine efforts to maximise the impact (and support) of open source software.

In this talk we will discuss how we are creating an OSPO at UCL to enable us:

• to measure our dependencies on open (and closed!) source code and combine efforts to increase impact and reduce risks;
• to increase community engagement and collaboration within UCL and with external organisations;
• to promote, guide and educate staff and students about open source culture from technical, social, political and economical perspectives;
• to push policy forward that safeguards open source and protects technological sovereignty.

We hope that sharing our experiences will inspire others to create OSPOs and engage in future collaborations.