Software today is a central element of scientific research. It is not only a tool for generating and analyzing data, but its source code also constitutes an object of study in itself. Preserving this knowledge is essential to ensure traceability, reproducibility, and the advancement of science.
In line with the importance of its preservation, IMDEA Software signed this January an agreement with Software Heritage and INRIA (National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology) to establish a mirror of the world’s largest publicly available source code archive in Spain. This initiative will replicate and provide local access to the global archive, ensuring long-term preservation and access to software as a digital heritage.
Software Heritage, which coordinates the global mirror program and is based in INRIA (France), collects and organizes millions of projects and billions of source code files, providing free and open access. Copies of these files, known as mirrors, such as the one to be hosted at IMDEA Software, ensure redundancy against failures or interruptions, distribute the load of archive access, and strengthen the resilience of digital knowledge in the face of technical, commercial, or geopolitical changes.
With the creation of this mirror, Spain joins the international network of distributed nodes, adding to existing mirrors in Italy (ENEA), Greece (GRNET), and to a forthcoming mirror in Germany (UNIDUE). The infrastructure provided by IMDEA Software, combined with its expertise in software research, reinforces Europe’s capacity to preserve and access its own software independently and openly.
The initiative also aligns with the National Open Science Strategy, placing software in its rightful position due to its undeniable importance in contemporary science. The mirror will ensure that source code, alongside articles and data, becomes an integral part of open science, guaranteeing its long-term availability. The project is closely aligned with European Union priorities regarding software, including collaboration to achieve cyber-resilience, supply chain security, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, and Open Science.
The agreement was officially presented today during the Software Heritage Summit and Symposium in Paris, which this year marks the tenth anniversary of its collaboration with UNESCO. The event brought together national and international representatives, including Marina Pilar Villegas, Director General of Research and Technological Innovation; Manuel Carro, Director of IMDEA Software; and Antonio Fernández, Deputy Director of the institute. During the event, representatives from the Community of Madrid and IMDEA Software highlighted the importance of Spain’s contribution to preserving software as the digital heritage of humanity, as well as new applications to explore in research, education, and technological development.
This collaboration represents a significant step forward in software preservation, ensuring that the Spanish scientific community has reliable and permanent access to this key infrastructure.