Q- Could you share with us your journey, from being an SNS alumnus to your current endeavors in open science and software preservation?
A- My journey began at the Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) in Pisa, where I studied from 1982 to 1986. It was during these formative years that I developed a deep passion for theoretical computer science and logical systems. The great quality of the Computer Science courses at University of Pisa, and the exceptional environment offered by SNS led me to pursue a career in research and teaching. After my PhD at the University of Pisa, I moved to France, where I was appointed associate professor at École Normale Supérieure de Paris, also an EELISA member, and then moved to Université Paris Direrot (now Université Paris Cité) in 1999 as full professor in Computer Science. During these early years in France, I established tight collaborations with various teams at Inria, that continued ever since, and became increasingly involved in the Free and Open Source Software movement and in Open Access. I saw the potential of open-source software not only as a tool for innovation but also as a way to democratize access to technology. This passion led to my involvement in a number of high-profile undertakings, from the creation of the free software thematic group (now Open Source Hub) connecting industry, communities and academia in the Paris area, the Mancoosi project, which sought to improve software package management for large software collections, and Irill, dedicated to studying the new scientific problems related to open source software.
In 2015, I took leave from Université Paris Cité to focus entirely at Inria on Software Heritage, an initiative I co-founded to address a critical gap in the preservation of our digital world: software source code. Software Heritage’s goal is to collect and preserve all publicly available software source code, ensuring it remains accessible for future generations. The initiative is driven by the recognition that software is a fundamental part of our cultural and scientific heritage.
Q- As the co-founder of Software Heritage, a project in partnership with UNESCO, what do you see as the most significant challenge in preserving the world’s software legacy, and why is this initiative important for society at large?
A- The preservation of software is a daunting task due to the sheer scale and complexity of public software development. Software is not static; it is continually evolving, with new versions, dependencies, and platforms emerging over time. This makes it particularly challenging to capture and maintain in a form that is both accessible and usable for future generations, and to build the necessary infrastructure we are continually confronted with problems that lie at the boundary between technology and research.
This initiative is crucial for society because software drives much of the world’s infrastructure, scientific research, and cultural expression. If we fail to preserve this software, we risk losing critical knowledge and capabilities that underpin scientific research and innovation. Software Heritage provides the necessary open and universal infrastructure for ensuring long term access to, and precise identification of software source code, an essential component to enable reproducibility of research and appropriate Open Science practices for software. This is why the french Ministry of Research, numerous universities, including the SNS, support it and it has been selected by SCOSS, the Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services as an essential infrastructure for Open Science. Moreover, by partnering with UNESCO, we are aligning Software Heritage with a global mandate to treat software as part of the shared cultural and scientific heritage of humanity, and support the objective set forth by the UN Digital Compact, that sees Open Source as a key to global digital cooperation.
Q. EELISA is built on values such as interdisciplinarity, innovation, and societal impact, advocating for Open Science and transnational collaboration. In your experience leading international projects and research structures, what key lessons have you learned about fostering successful collaborations across different cultures and disciplines in software engineering and computer science?
A. One of the key lessons I’ve learned is the importance of communication and openness. International collaborations often bring together people from different cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, and they may have different approaches to solving problems. To foster a productive collaboration, it is crucial to create an environment of trust and mutual respect, where every participant feels heard and valued.
Another critical factor is having a shared sense of purpose. In projects like Mancoosi and Software Heritage, we were able to unify participants around a clear, common goal that transcended national or disciplinary boundaries. This sense of purpose helps to keep everyone aligned, even when challenges arise.
Finally, I’ve learned that transparency, open source, open access and data sharing, key principles that informed all of my research even before the term Open Science became popular, are invaluable for fostering collaboration. These principles allow researchers and developers to contribute their expertise freely, regardless of where they are located or what institution they belong to, which in turn drives innovation and societal impact.
Q. Lastly, could you share what you find to be the most compelling aspect of EELISA for university researchers and Open Science advocates?
A. What I find most compelling about EELISA is its commitment to fostering interdisciplinarity and promoting societal impact through Open Science. For university researchers, EELISA offers a platform that encourages collaboration across disciplines and borders, enabling them to work on real-world challenges with direct societal benefits. This kind of collaboration is crucial for addressing complex global issues, from climate change to digital transformation.
EELISA emphasis on transnational collaboration and innovation represents an opportunity to promote the principles underlying Open Science on a European scale.
