  The European Commission has the power to inspire, initiate and sponsor huge
transnational projects to an extent impossible for most other entities. These
projects can address universal themes and develop well-being models that are
valuable across a diversity of societies and economies. It is a universal fact
that SMEs in all countries provide a substantial proportion of total
employment, and conduct much of a nation's innovative activity. Yet these
smaller companies struggle in global markets on a far from level playing field,
where large companies have distinct advantages. To redress this imbalance the
Commission saw it as a priority to improve the trading capability of the Small
and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and perceived digital platforms as the
modern means to this end. They considered that the best operational model for a
vibrant Web2.0-based Internet services industry would be by analogy to
well-performing biological ecosystems. Open Source Software is adopted in the
DBE/OPAALS projects as the best support for sustainability of such complex
electronic webs, since it minimises interoperability problems, enables code
access for cheaper in-house modification or development of systems, and reduces
both capital and operating expenditure.
