Sachiko Muto
{{Short description|Swedish academic}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sachiko Muto
| image = Sachiko Muto.jpg
| image_size = 220px
| caption = Sachiko Muto in 2021
| birth_name =
| birth_place =
| nationality=Swedish
| education = University of Toronto, London School of Economics
| occupation = {{hlist|academic|open source advocate}}
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Sachiko Muto (born in 1975) is a Swedish academic and open source advocate.
Education and early career
Muto completed a bachelor's degree in international relations and political science at the University of Toronto in 2000. In 2002, she completed a master's degree in European politics and policy at the London School of Economics.{{cite web |url= https://cstms.berkeley.edu/people/sachiko-muto/ |title= Sachiko Muto|last= |first= |date= |website= Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society|publisher=UC Berkeley |access-date= 19 July 2023|quote=}}
Muto started her career in European affairs as an intern at Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.{{cite report |author= Directorate-General for Research |date=January 2003 |title=International Terrorism and European Security|url= https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2003/326163/DG-4-JOIN_ET(2003)326163_EN.pdf|publisher= European Commission|page= |access-date=20 July 2023}}
Subsequently, she worked for ten years in policy making in Brussels before moving to California.
Academic research
Muto's area of research is social and political implications of technological change.{{cite web |url= https://openforumeurope.org/team/ |title= Sachiko Muto|last= |first= |date= |website= OpenForum Europe|publisher= |access-date= 19 July 2023|quote=}} More specifically her ingoing research at the Delft University is focusing on the role of standards from this perspective. She was previously a researcher with UC Berkeley, from 2012 to 2014.{{cite web |url= https://linuxfoundation.eu/en/about/advisory-board |title= Linux Foundation Europe Advisory Board|last= |first= |date= |website= linuxfoundation |publisher= |access-date= 11 July 2023|quote=}}
Muto is also a senior researcher at RISE in Sweden.{{cite web |url= https://swforum.eu/oss-contribution |title= Measuring Contribution to Open Source|last= |first= |date= |website= SWForum.eu |publisher= |access-date= 11 July 2023|quote=}}
She is a frequent commentator on the question of impact of standards on the environment.{{cite web |url= https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/sharing-and-reuse-it-solutions/sachiko-muto-chief-executive-officer-openforum-europe |title=
Sachiko Muto, Chief Executive Officer of OpenForum Europe |last= |first= |date= February 9, 2022|website=JoinUp |publisher=European Commission |access-date=19 July 2023|quote=}}
Advocacy work
Muto joined OpenForum Europe in 2007.
She was advocating for open standards in the context of the Microsoft antitrust case in 2008.{{cite news |last= Igra|first=Daniel |date=11 June 2008 |title=Kroes issues software standards warning |url= https://www.politico.eu/article/kroes-issues-software-standards-warning/ |work=Politico |location= |access-date=11 July 2023}}
In 2016, Muto became the CEO of OpenForum Europe, replacing the founder Graham Taylor.{{cite news |last= Sharma|first= Mayank|date= 6 September 2021|title= Open source software could be the EU's secret weapon|url= https://www.techradar.com/news/open-source-software-could-be-the-eus-secret-weapon |work=Techradar |location= |access-date=19 July 2023}}
In her role, she argued for focusing investment in Europe on open source software to preserve the competitiveness of the continent.{{cite news |last=Bertuzzi |first=Luca |date=8 September 2021 |title= Open source software boosted the EU economy by 'between €65 to €95 bn' - report|url= https://www.euractiv.com/section/industrial-strategy/news/open-source-software-boosted-the-eu-economy-by-between-e65-to-e95-bn-report/ |work=EURACTIV |location= |access-date=2 July 2023}}
In 2022, Muto welcomed the creation of Linux Foundation Europe, to reinforce the advocates of open source in the EU.{{cite news |last1= Whiting|first1=Dan |last2=Lustak |first2=Andi|date=14 September 2022 |title=Linux Foundation Europe Launches to Foster European Open Source Collaboration and Innovation |url= https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/linux-foundation-europe-launches-to-foster-european-open-source-collaboration-and-innovation-851356159.html |work=PR NewsWire |location= |access-date=10 July 2023}}
She put forward the importance of open source in fostering a culture of collaboration in Europe. According to Muto, investment in open source software would contribute to more growth and could put Europe in a leadership position.{{cite web |url= https://it-serviceshungary.hu/open-source-ecosystem-could-drive-massive-economic-growth/|title =Open Source ecosystem could drive massive economic growth|last= |first= |date= 7 September 2021|website= Services & Solutions Hungary |publisher= |access-date= 11 July 2023|quote=}} Muto in particular called on the European Commission to assume a more assertive role in coordinating the efforts to develop open source.{{cite news |last= le calme|first= Stéphane|date=9 February 2021|title= L'open source contribue à hauteur de 95 Mds € à la puissance économique de l'UE|trans-title= Open Source contributes to the tune of €95 billion to the economic strength of the EU|url= https://www.developpez.com/actu/312423/L-open-source-contribue-a-hauteur-de-95-Mds-a-la-puissance-economique-de-l-UE-selon-une-etude-de-l-OFE-qui-estime-que-l-UE-tire-un-benefice-considerable-de-sa-participation-dans-l-open-source/|language=French |work=Developpez.com|location= |access-date=19 July 2023}}
From the perspective of users Muto, expressed concerns about privacy that would be best ensured through open source, because it offers the potential to mitigate the power of Big Tech.{{cite news |last= |first= |date=8 September 2021|title= Open source software boosted the EU economy by 'between €65 to €95 bn' report |url=https://www.technologyforyou.org/open-source-software-is-it-about-free-or-is-it-about-freedom/|work= Technology for you |location= |access-date=2 July 2023}}
Personal life
Muto lived in Belgium and the UK. She lived for five years in Cupertino, US before returning to Belgium in 2016 together with her family.{{cite web |url= https://stayhappening.com/e/open-source-innovation-in-universities-E3LUYBI5SAIR |title=Open Source Innovation in Universities|last= |first= |date=24 March 2023 |website=StayHappening |publisher= Trinity College Dublin|access-date=20 July 2023|quote=}}
References
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Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics