Numerous studies have shown the technical and financial benefits of not just using, but also contributing to open source software, yet the automotive industry remains stuck in neutral when it comes to contributing to collaborative open source projects. For over a decade, Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) has proven that OEM and Tier 1 competitors can collaborate on pre-competitive software. We've built the neutral governance, technical frameworks, and shared workflows that make this real-world co-development possible in the traditional automotive industry.
Yet, a recent AGL OSPO Expert Group survey highlights a critical "last mile" problem: contributions are stalling. Developers often lack clear guidance on what they can share and who needs to approve it. Without active, visible buy-in from senior leadership, code stays locked away. This talk will connect AGL’s long-term work in open source enablement for the automotive industry with the specific internal roadblocks our survey identified. We’ll finish with a playbook for OSPOs: concrete steps to move from executive intent to developer action, creating clear pathways for open source contributions that benefit the OEMs and Tier 1 technical and financial bottom line.
