Open Source Simulation: The Business Case
2026 state of the art: real costs and strategic benefits
3 key benefits
Rationalize your investments
Take full control of your costs by replacing perpetual license rental with an investment in your teams (TCO typically reduced by 50% within a few years).
Be sovereign
Secure your technological sovereignty thanks to transparent computation codes, auditable end-to-end and free from extraterritorial regulation.
Innovate freely
Customize your solvers and automate your computation processes without running into the limits or extra costs of proprietary vendors.
« "Open source numerical simulation is not a low-cost alternative. It is a model where transparency replaces opacity, and where technological mastery replaces dependence." »
What you will discover
- 1
A brief history of open source at EDF
The history and robustness of EDF R&D's technological heritage, forged to meet the demands of critical engineering and safety.
- 2
Putting costs into perspective with total cost of ownership
An objective TCO comparison to assess the real cost of an open source migration against commercial models.
- 3
They've made the move
Testimonials and quantified feedback from industrial players (Holcim, Aether Engineering, Fortlab Polska) who are already benefiting from open source.
- 4
The questions you're asking yourself
Direct and pragmatic answers to your operational concerns: solver accuracy, learning curve, long-term viability of the tools…
This strategic guide is for you if:
- You lead the technical function, R&D, or engineering projects of an industrial company.
- You are looking to rationalize your simulation budgets in the face of annual price increases from your usual software solutions.
- You operate in critical sectors (defense, energy, civil engineering) requiring absolute control over your data and deep oversight of the algorithms.
- You want to couple different physics or extend the use of high-performance computing (HPC) without being limited by budget.
You might also like…
In-depthSeptember 7, 2026
DARPA SUBOFF: using code_saturne for naval hydrodynamics
code_saturne on the DARPA SUBOFF AFF-8 on a lightweight pre-design mesh
In-depthAugust 24, 2026
Shrink-fitting with code_aster: two numerical approaches for the same stress state
Shrink-fitting with code_aster: two numerical approaches for the same stress state
In-depthJuly 15, 2026
ULS reinforcement design of a reinforced concrete slab using code_aster
ULS reinforcement design of a reinforced concrete slab using code_aster