Is preCICE indeed free software, or is it too good to be true?
preCICE is orginally an academic software. We have received public funding from several projects that use and develop preCICE. This applies currently, e.g., to the DFG-funded ExaFSA project, part of SPPEXA. Recently, DFG had also a specific call on research software sustainability, in which we were succesful: The project preDOM should take preCICE to the next level, from a prototype to a wide-spread sustainable scientific software. Specific funding for basic un-academic things such as tutorials, outreach, or documentation has been granted. We also receive funding through the EuroTech PostDoc Program, co-funded by the European Commission under its framework program Horizon 2020. Besides this public funding, both active academic developer groups, SCCS at the Technical University of Munich and SGS at the University of Stuttgart, also invest own internal funding.
Last, as any open-source project, preCICE could only survive through its users’ and developers’ passionate commitment also in their after-work hours.
Moved from our FAQ on precice.org.