Open source from science to society

Jan Softa CEO of Somerco

Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

Enhance EC member states competiveness in R & D
Part 8: Open source from science to society
Abstract
Open source alternatives developed in science and applied in industry can help people and society to reduce
costs and increase the basic level of living. I focus on four topics from science to society - pharmacy - computer
– materials - societal. Open source has gained many advocates in most of these topics, while it is less developed
in materials. To begin to develop open source agreements valid for Europe that cover as many social and
industry sectors as possible will probably increase the competiveness of the European industry.

Background
Helping geniuses! Our slogan sums up who Somerco aims to help. Somerco are a company
that target to help researchers and innovators so that these geniuses can create prosperity and
jobs in society. In this paper, I discuss how open source solutions in science and industry can
become a competitive advantage for Europe.

Introduction
Open source alternatives developed in science and applied in industry can help people and
society to reduce costs and increase the basic level of living. I think open source is applicable
to most research disciplines and many industry sectors. I focus on four topics from science to
society - pharmacy - computer –materials - societal. For each, I give one science example and
another example from industry.

What is open source?
In production and development, open source as a development model promotes a) universal
access via free license to a product's design or blueprint, and b) universal redistribution of
that design or blueprint, including subsequent improvements to it by anyone.1

Different types
Open source works for small projects with just a few participants as well as large
international projects with sometimes 1000s of contributors. CERN are in some aspects an
example of the latter. Examples on small scale projects that are run by a few people can be
found in the open source languages Joomla and Drupal. In Drupal you can start a sandbox
project with just yourself or a few others.
Open source for you, me and society
When the industry and governmental projects opt for open source project there are challenges
and benefits. I start by mentioning a few challenges for open source projects and then focus
on the benefits.
The idea behind open source is to make the product as accessible as possible for others.
Therefore, products and services based on open source never have any IP-rights attached to it.
1

Open source.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source


Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

It means the developing companies or people of these products do not have an exclusive right
to earn money on these products or services. You can still earn money on it, but not you
exclusively, which lower the potential for higher incomes. You also give up the right to
decide how these products are going to be developed in the future.
However, to give up the right to decide how these products are going to be developed in the
future also give greater possibilities for others to develop new products and services based on
your open source. Moreover, open source projects are often crowd-sourced. The benefits are
that most of the time it goes faster to get an accumulated knowledge about the work task. The
R & D phase can be shortened and thereby the cost be reduced. It means products can be
offered to customers on the market faster in the EU-zone, which will turn into a huge
competitive advantage for us.

Examples
First out is medicine and next one is about open source in computer software and hardware.
Then I continue with open source for materials and end with social. In each of these four
topics I discuss two examples, one example about science and another about industry or
society.

Pharmacy
It is important to acknowledge the importance pharmacy companies have to medical
treatment. These companies often patent their medicine and are absolutely vital for the future
of the development of medicine. However, there is room for both patented drugs and open
source. Open source projects in medicine has existed for a while and gained more advocates
in the recent decade. Open source software and methods make large-scale collaborative
research projects feasible, multiplying the brainpower applied to a project, expanding the data
pool, and creating transparency and accountability. This is a huge win for the advancement of
new treatments and cures, and cutting the costs of research.2
Science example
More and more examples on open source science in medicine are to be found. An example on
this are described in the speech: How does cancer know it's cancer? At Jay Bradner's lab, they
found a molecule that might hold the answer, JQ1 -- and instead of patenting JQ1, they
published their findings and mailed samples to 40 other labs to work on.3
Tropical diseases take a big toll in illness and death every year, but commercial medicine is
not very interested in them because the profit potential is so low; the people affected by them
are mainly in poor countries. Open Source Drug Discovery for Malaria, OSDD, was launched
in 2011 as a worldwide hub for malaria drug research. The first participants were the Todd
Research Group at the University of Sydney and the Medicines for Malaria Venture. The
Medicines for Malaria Venture is a global organization with partnerships with universities,
research labs, and pharmaceutical companies. OSDD makes good use of open source
technologies: Twitter, Google+, MediaWiki, and The Synaptic Leap.

2

Open Source Medicine Puts Health Above Profits. http://www.itworld.com/itmanagementstrategy/267234/open-source-medicine-puts-health-above-profits
3
How does cancer know it's cancer? http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_bradner_open_source_cancer_research.html


Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

“Dr. Matthew Todd, head of the Todd Research Group, already has a major open source drug success story, and
that is the inexpensive synthesis of enantiopure praziquantel, the drug used to treat schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).
This is a debilitating disease that affects about a half of a billion people worldwide. Enantiopure praziquantel is
now on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines, and is distributed by WHO and the Gates
Foundation.”4

Industry example
When it comes to infectious diseases, sharing is generally discouraged. But recently,
pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) opened up the designs behind 13,500 chemical
compounds, which the company narrowed down from over two million that may be capable
of fighting malaria. The process of determine which compounds could yield a malaria drug is
time consuming and complex, but GSK hopes to inspire other researchers to pool their
intellectual property and work together to develop new and better medicines to fight the
diseases that are rampant in the world’s poorest countries.5
Also pharmacy software is an important part of the open source development. GGA Software
Services LLC has received an exclusive license from Pfizer Inc. to create and distribute an
open-source version of Pfizer's internal chemistry electronic lab notebook, known as CeN,
and Indigo ELN is the resulting open-source version that is available for your use,
integration, and customization.6

Computer
Open source gained hold with the rise of the Internet, and the attendant need for massive
retooling of the computing source code. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing
diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities. The
open-source software movement arose to clarify the environment that the new copyright,
licensing, domain, and consumer issues created. The term usually means that information
about the hardware is easily discerned. Hardware design (i.e. mechanical drawings,
schematics, bills of material, PCB layout data, HDL source code and integrated circuit layout
data), in addition to the software that drives the hardware, are all released with the FOSS
approach.7
Science example
In open source software there are several science projects run. An example is the
OpenScience Project.8 What has grown into open source software projects that be compared
to an industry level are Debian, Linux and more recently Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal.
Debian is an operating system composed of free software mostly carrying the GNU General
Public License. The operating system is developed by an internet collaboration of volunteers
aligned with The Debian Project. Much of the development in this project can be considered
as regular development and maintenance, but you also find pure science oriented projects.
Debian Science goals are to provide researchers and scientists better experience when using
4

Open source medicine puts health above profits. http://www.itworld.com/itmanagementstrategy/267234/open-source-medicine-puts-health-above-profits
5
Open pharmaceutical innovation. http://opensource.com/business/10/2/open-pharmaceutical-innovation
6
Indigo ELN: The Open-Source Chemistry Electronic Lab Notebook.
http://www.ggasoftware.com/opensource/indigo/eln
7
Open-source software. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software; Open-source hardware.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_hardware
8
The OpenScience Project. http://www.openscience.org


Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

Debian. I give two examples of open source for science. NeuroDebian provides a large
collection of popular neuroscience research software. Debian Med has the aim to develop
Debian into an operating system that is particularly well fit for the requirements for medical
practice and biomedical research. The goal of Debian Med is a complete free and open
system for all tasks in medical care and research. To achieve this goal Debian Med integrates
related free and open source software for medical imaging, bioinformatics, clinic IT
infrastructure, and others within Debian OS.9
Industry examples
In software, open source has many advocates. Less known are open source project and
products in hardware. However, there are an association also for these advocates called Open
Source Hardware Association.10 In computer hardware there are several open source
components such as microprocessors, graphic cards and wireless hardware as sensors.
I give two concrete examples on open source in hardware. The Beagle Board is a low-power
open-source hardware single-board computer produced by Texas Instruments in association
with Digi-Key and Newark element14. The other example Tinkerforge hardware and
software are both Open Source, and all files are hosted on GitHub. Tinkerforge is a platform
of stackable microcontroller building blocks (Bricks) that can control different modules
(Bricklets). The primary communication interface of the building blocks can be extended
using Master Extensions. This non-embedded programming approach eliminates the typical
requirements and limitations (development tools, limited availability of RAM and processing
power) of conventional embedded software development.11
Much can be learned of the computer sectors success in going open source in science and
industry. It is probably the industry sector that has the largest percentage of advocates and
also the largest turnover for its whole industry sector.

Material
Materials is one of the more diverse sciences because it is an interdisciplinary field applying
the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. In addition, old and new
industry processes are relevant for materials.
Science example
When in concern open source in material science I have found software aimed at helping
researchers in material science. I have also found machines as the 3D printing machine. The
purpose for developing this machine was opening up the opportunity to investigate printing
ceramic membranes and reactors. The design of the printer (drawings, electronic layout,
software) is publicly released under an open source license, free for others to adapt, build and
use, e.g. in academic research.
It highlights two issues when it concern material science projects. Its science projects might
use or develop open source software for its research and it could use machines that have been
open sourced. However, you do not easily find that the processed materials itself and the
products that could have been developed from this has been open sourced. Compare this to
9

The Ultimate Neuroscience Software Platform http://neuro.debian.net/AND Debian Med.
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-med/
10
Open source hardware association. http://www.oshwa.org
11
[11]The Beagle Board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_Board AND Tinkerforge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki


Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

the other science fields where you find an abundance of research projects in computer science
and also to an increasing extent in pharmacy which products are open sourced. It could be
that the advocates in material science for open sourcing the material are not as strong in this
research discipline as in the other two.
Industry example
Most materials in nature cannot be patented and are thereby open sourced. However, for a
long time many products used in our homes and in industry are processed materials such as
textiles, plastics and masonite. These processed materials are often patented and this is often
the route that is chosen by industry. Is there room for open source in an industry for
processed materials?
Some are of this opinion and believe open source solutions have a future in this industry. It is
believed this development will see an increased copying of nature. It is because nature has
already discovered how to fabricate materials and to finesse chemistry in ways that are the
envy of human engineers and chemists. Many companies, both established and startup are
now focusing on harvesting enzymes from organisms in the environment for use in industrial
processes. Popular examples of high-strength materials fabricated by biology at low
temperature, pressure, and energy cost are spider silk and abalone shell.12

Societal
Open sourcing social change. Can this be done? Before discussing the examples, I believe it
needs to be clarified that it is important to distinguish those who opt for making their
products and services open source and make a profit - from those who use open source with
an explicit focus on tackling social challenges. To exemplify, in computers the Linux system
is open source, but those selling it still make good profit. When it concern the social
entrepreneurs open source solutions the profit is not the main goal, it is the benefit for
society.
Science example
In many science fields there are advocates for open source in order to solve social challenges.
The benefits are it will benefit many others conducting science and speed up the process of
research. In return, it will go faster for its research results to be applied to society in many
parts of Europe and the world.
Also in EUs goals for innovation, research and development we find that they have a
dimension to solve social challenges. A tool that will be used is Horizon 2020s funding of
research projects. It is achallenge-based approach that will bring together resources and
knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and
the humanities. This will cover activities from research to market with a new focus on
innovation-related activities, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public
procurement and market uptake. It will include establishing links with the activities of the
European Innovation Partnerships (EIP). Its funding will be focused on the following
challenges: (a) health, demographic change and wellbeing, (b) food security, sustainable
agriculture, marine and maritime research, and the bio-economy, (c) secure, clean and

12

Open-Source Biology And Its Impact on Industry. http://www.kurzweilai.net/open-source-biology-and-itsimpact-on-industry-2


Date: 2013 - 10 - 12

efficient energy, (d) smart, green and integrated transport, (d) inclusive, innovative and
secure societies and (e) climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials.13
Industry example
Social entrepreneurship is about tackling societal problems. The internet and social
networking websites have been pivotal resources for the success and collaboration of many
Social Entrepreneurs. Zidisha is a nonprofit peer-to-peer microfinance internet platform that
allows people to lend small amounts of money directly to entrepreneurs in develop countries.
In addition the internet allows for the pooling of design resources using open source
principles. For example, the rise of open-source appropriate technology as a sustainable
development paradigm enables people all over the world to collaborate on solving local
problems just as open source software development leverages collaboration.

Now what?
Sharing knowledge for free is not new and historically we find different types of free to use
like agreements. The Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association in 1910s is an early example.
The association instituted a cross-licensing agreement among all US auto manufacturers:
although each company would develop technology and file patents, these patents were shared
openly and without the exchange of money between all the manufacturers.14
In EU you find a move toward more openness of the R & D results it funds. In Horizon 2020s
funding of research projects they will promote publication in open access journals.15 Perhaps,
the next step will be to discuss how open source can complement the regular way industry
operates with filing patents. As we can see in some of the examples above, both can co-exist
and be competitive. The benefit with open source in all types of social and industry sectors is
it could be a contributing factor to the development of society. This is due to open source
solutions are often cheaper so people, government and industry need to spend less money
when they purchase these products.16 Moreover, to start to adopt open source agreements
valid for Europe will probably increase the competiveness of the European industry because
open source has come to stay and are increasing in importance. It would be beneficial with
open source agreements that cover as many social and industry sectors as possible. Many
people know about open source agreements in software such as GNU and I believe lessons
can be learned from these types of agreements. It would be beneficial to map out what open
source agreements that could be relevant and build upon their knowledge and develop one for
the EU-zone.

13

Tackling Societal Challenges. http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=better-society
Open source. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
15
Tackling Societal Challenges. http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=better-society
16
In some parts of Spain the government have replaced the use of Windows to the open source solution Ubuntu
who are cheaper.
14

Open source from science to society

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