An open core model for EDA
Effective tooling is essential for rapid innovation, yet traditional Electronic Design Automation (EDA) often hinders progress in emerging fields like photonics and quantum computing. Our extensive experience at institutions such as Google, PsiQuantum, HP, Juniper Networks, and Rockley Photonics revealed that commercial tools frequently fall short due to misaligned incentives. To address this, we developed open-source solutions—most notably GDSFactory—that empower researchers and engineers to directly shape the tools they rely on. While open source continues to enable rapid collaboration and experimentation, we found that widespread industry adoption requires an entity that can provide dedicated resources, support, and confidentiality. We believe an open-core model strikes the right balance: preserving openness while providing a viable path to fund development. This talk highlights our journey, lessons learned, and why we see open-core as a catalyst for bringing open-source EDA into the mainstream.