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“If you don’t do it, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”
A senator says these words to a 22-year-old student. That student is Alexandre Zapolsky. One year later, he would go on to found LINAGORA.
Yet nothing in the background of this young man from the provinces, with no connections, suggested that his path would cross that of Pierre Laffitte, the man behind Sophia Antipolis, France’s very own “Silicon Valley.” For him, meeting a senator was a bit like meeting the Pope.
He never forgot that advice.
A few months later, while searching for Linux and open-source software experts for a project, he realized there were… none in France. So he decided to become the “shovel and pickaxe supplier” for everyone who believed in the potential of open source.
What these pioneers championed under the banner of “free software” paved the way for a debate that extends far beyond code: digital sovereignty. A debate that is more relevant than ever, as France still spends €60 billion a year on American software.
14:39 - Segment on Pierre Laffitte
Original video available on YouTube (channel: Forces Françaises de l’Industrie).
Interview : Laurent Moisson
Filming and Editing: Chloé Robert
