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Paul Sharratt
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Paul Sharratt

Policy and Research Lead, Sovereign Tech Agency Germany; represented German open-source sovereignty at Brussels summit.

Last refreshed: 17 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can Germany's open-source funding model scale to a pan-European sovereignty strategy?

Timeline for Paul Sharratt

#519 May

Framed programme as occupying a globally important role in standards bodies

European Tech Sovereignty: Germany pays maintainers to staff IETF and W3C
#323 Apr

Participated in open-source session at the summit

European Tech Sovereignty: Brussels sovereignty summit opens without European AI builders
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Common Questions
What does the Sovereign Tech Agency Germany fund?
The Sovereign Tech Agency Germany funds open-source software critical to public digital infrastructure, including paying maintainers to participate in international standards bodies such as IETF, W3C, and ISO.Source: event
Is open-source software a route to European digital sovereignty?
Yes, according to Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency. The agency's position, represented by Paul Sharratt at the 2026 Brussels summit, is that funding open-source maintainers reduces dependence on US vendor-controlled proprietary platforms.Source: event
What is Germany's Sovereign Tech Standards programme?
The Sovereign Tech Standards programme launched by the Sovereign Tech Agency Germany in May 2026 pays open-source maintainers €4,800–€5,200 per month to represent EU interests at IETF, W3C, and ISO, with up to ten places funded from June 2026 to June 2027.Source: event

Background

Paul Sharratt is Policy and Research Lead at the Sovereign Tech Agency Germany, the German government institution that funds open-source software critical to public digital infrastructure. He participates in the open-source panel at the inaugural Sovereign Tech Europe summit in Brussels on 23 April 2026, alongside Laszlo Igneczi and Felix Reda .

The Sovereign Tech Agency (Sovereign Tech Fund until 2024) operates under the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It provides direct funding to maintain and strengthen open-source software dependencies that underpin critical digital systems — a model that treats open-source maintenance as public infrastructure rather than volunteer-driven community effort. Notable investments include funding for the curl networking library, OpenSSL, and GNOME.

Sharratt's research focus on open-source as a sovereignty strategy reflects a German federal approach that differs from the Commission's procurement-led model. Open-source code is by definition not subject to foreign legal jurisdiction, making it structurally preferable for sovereignty purposes: no US CLOUD Act exposure, no vendor lock-in, no licence revocation risk. His panel appearance at Sovereign Tech Europe positioned the German open-source funding model as a transferable European template at a moment when the Commission's own cloud framework had just been criticised for including a US-linked joint venture.