Mercedes-Benz goes open source to fuel its digital ecosystem

By CARSIFU | 13 November 2023


STUTTGART: Mercedes-Benz is embracing digital transformation by prioritising the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in its operations.

The company aims to establish itself as a leading automotive manufacturer in digitalisation by leveraging open source technologies to drive innovation and increase efficiency in software development.

The use of FOSS is not limited to the development of vehicles and integrated software but extends to various areas of the company, including mobile apps and enterprise software.

Mercedes-Benz believes that FOSS attracts top talent and accelerates innovation, going beyond cost reduction.

Mercedes-Benz Open Source Mercedes-Benz Open Source

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To further promote the adoption of FOSS, Mercedes-Benz encourages its developers to contribute to existing open-source projects and publish their own projects.

The company has established internal guidelines with the Mercedes-Benz FOSS Manifesto and aims to expand its participation in the global FOSS community. It also applies inner source methods and techniques internally to foster global collaboration and learning.

Mercedes-Benz actively supports the FOSS community through sponsorships, memberships in important FOSS organizations, and hosting the Mercedes-Benz FOSS Convention.

This convention serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and creativity among FOSS experts within Mercedes-Benz and open-source enthusiasts from around the world.

The company also participates in open-source conferences, delivering lectures and workshops. Its commitment to FOSS has been recognised with awards such as the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Leadership Award and the Top End User Award by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

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