OpenLabs -- Open Source Microfactories Enhancing the FabLab Idea

Increasing social and economic imbalances as well as restricted access to production means and participation in value creation processes ask for new approaches to overcome the asymmetric distribution of knowledge and information between producers and consumers as well as between industrialized and developing countries. Technical progress in production technology, the advancement and spread of information and communication technologies (ICT) as well as the spill-over of the highly efficient and innovative open source principles to the world of physical products represent a new set of tools and concepts to address this challenge. Correspondingly, we can observe (new) modes of value creation that put into question traditional economic strategies and assumptions by stressing collaboration instead of competition and knowledge sharing instead of black box engineering. The FabLab movement (fabrication laboratory) is one emerging and promising approach for decentralized, participative, locally grounded and globally interconnected value creation. This paper presents findings from a study on the latest development, effects and success of FabLabs focusing especially on its potential for development cooperation. Based on findings from the survey and the premises of the FabLab idea, we finally present the multidisciplinary OpenLabs concept.