Open source is a development method for appropriate technology that utilizes distributed peer review and transparency of the process.


In an article published on Harvard Business Review, Vasilis Kostakis and Andreas Roos argue that the "open-source" model can act as a driver of sustainable development since it enables localization for communities that do not have the resources to tempt commercial developers to provide local versions of their products, minimizing the need to ship materials over long distances and organizing material activities accordingly. ^[3] Local manufacturing would also make maintenance easier and encourage manufacturers to design products to last as long as possible. ^[3] The technology can be both "gratis" and "libre," i.e., free of both the monetary cost and contractual restrictions often associated with commercial technologies and patents. That freedom can be an important consideration for developing communities. ^[4] According to the concepts of Jeremy Rifkin, it thus optimizes the sharing of knowledge and design as there are no patent costs to pay for. ^[3]