22nd October 2022
New report highlights urgent talent needs and sets out five actions to strengthen Ireland’s position in the global digital economy
Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, in partnership with Technology Ireland and with funding support from Skillnet Ireland, has launched a new report highlighting the growing importance of open source and InnerSource skills to Ireland’s digital economy. Titled Open Source and InnerSource Skills in Ireland: A Call for Action, the report was authored by Clare Dillon of Open Ireland Network and Klaas-Jan Stol of Lero, and developed with support from partner organisations including Open Ireland Network, Lero, Trinity College Dublin, OpenForum Europe and OSPO++ Network.
The report explores how open source and InnerSource are already shaping software development, innovation and collaboration across organisations in Ireland. It finds that while these approaches are increasingly important, the skills needed to use, contribute to and lead in these areas are not yet readily available in the Irish market. The research points to a broad talent need that goes beyond software engineering alone, spanning collaboration, governance, documentation, security and organisational capability.
The study was carried out in four stages, including discovery research, collaboration workshops, a national survey and expert interviews. It set out to identify which organisations in Ireland are dependent on or could benefit from open source and InnerSource, understand their related skills needs, and recommend practical next steps. The findings position open source and InnerSource not simply as technical topics, but as strategic capabilities that can support competitiveness, innovation and long-term talent development.
To help Ireland respond, the report sets out five recommended actions: curating a directory of existing learning resources, creating innovative new learning programmes, extending the Skillnet portfolio in this area, supporting the establishment of Open Source Programme Offices in educational institutions, and continuing the national conversation. The report concludes that Ireland has the potential to become a leader in open source and InnerSource skills development, and that acting now would strengthen the country’s position as a destination for digital talent, collaboration and innovation.
Read "Open Source and InnerSource Skills in Ireland: A Call for Action"
