The role of public actors in the business models of open source collaborative projects (free software): a case study in Cameroon and France

Free software projects and communities (open source) are closely followed by the scientific community. In this open-source domain dominated by large commercial companies such as Microsoft or SAP, the role of public actors has not yet been sufficiently explored by previous works. As part of this research, we offer two case studies of open-source projects in France and Cameroon. Our work shows, in a comparative way and with varying proportions, how public actors can effectively contribute to the development and adoption of open-source software through public commissioning, research and development assistance and support. institutionalization of coopetition. After highlighting the fact that software can be a lever for the development of the digital economy and the technological independence of African states (Feudjo et al., 2022; Ongo-Nkoa and Song, 2022), as has been the case in France (Zune et al., 2011), we also show that the success of the role of the state depends on a certain degree of control and trust between the different stakeholders