Each year, Igalia comes together with the browser vendors to help organize and run the Interop project. While we’re exceptionally proud of our involvement in this effort and all that it accomplishes, we’re also very aware that there are more asks of the platform than browser vendors can complete.

It’s helped to illustrate that choosing to prioitize a set of things together, by definition, leaves lots of things unprioritized: Interop 2024 received 104 proposals for work to be done but could only select 12. Interop 2025 received over 150, and accepted 29. And that’s just the things that were submitted for the selection process! There are far more needs that weren’t even submitted.

Interop has also further illustrated that browser vendors have a particular set of perspectives and there are certain things that will just never likely make the Interop cut. Things like MathML, for example, or SVG, which browser vendors haven’t prioritized for many years.

However, web technology is used throughout the entire global economy, and browser engines are central to one of the most important software ecosystems in history. There are few technologies that are more critical; even utilities are reliant on the web. The public interest stake is enormous, given that over five billion people — nearly two-thirds of the total global population — use the web. Any work done to expand the capabilities of the web is important and sorely needed.

Igalia is proud to work with many other organizations to help expand investment and voices that help shape the web. That’s why this year we submitted an application to the Sovereign Tech Fund with a proposal for some Interop Work that we thought was critical, but didn’t make the cut. Today, we’re very happy to announce that we were awarded a service agreement with the Sovereign Tech Fund! Over the coming year, Igalia will be working on implementation and improved interoperability in four areas: MathML CSS integration and layout, the CSS property text-box-trim, HTML’s CloseWatcher interface, and the CSS Typed Object Model (CSSOM).

We’re looking forward to sharing our progress in all four areas as we make headway, and many thanks to the Sovereign Tech Agency!