Through Entrepreneurs’ Eyes: The Fab-Spaces Constellation

International Journal of Production Research – Special Issue on “DISTRIBUTED MANUFACTURING TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY” - Prof. Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Prof. Sir Mike Gregory, Prof. Baldev Raj, Eds, (Forthcoming)

43 Pages Posted: 26 May 2016

See all articles by Letizia Mortara

Letizia Mortara

University of Cambridge - Institute for Manufacturing

Nicolas Parisot

University of Cambridge - Department of Engineering

Date Written: May 24, 2016

Abstract

Fab-spaces provide individuals with access to numerous manufacturing equipment (including additive manufacturing), to carry out different types of projects. Although scholars are starting to speculate about the importance of these new organizational forms and their potential for future distributed innovation and production ecologies, this phenomenon is still largely unexplored. Building on existing multidisciplinary research, this paper offers the first empirical analysis of existing fab-spaces as providers of knowledge and production competencies. Amongst all the possible perspectives to derive a framework, we choose that of fab-spaces users who have an entrepreneurial intention. After deriving an analytical framework to position fab-spaces in the current academic discourse, the paper develops a classification, which considers the competences available to entrepreneurs, via fab-spaces, in conjunction with how these competences are provided. The resulting map reveals the complementarities amongst the different fab-spaces. It also shows that the current portfolio of fab-spaces supports mainly the distribution of innovation across locations and social groups. Several types of fab-spaces are currently well placed to support the transition from innovation to manufacturing, but their geographical distribution and range of manufacturing capabilities is not yet enough to provide a fully distributed manufacturing model. This study has practical consequences for entrepreneurs, in the better identification of the appropriate fab-spaces for their needs, and for policy makers, to help position the different types of fab-spaces as elements for national systems of innovation and production.

Keywords: FabLabs, Makespaces, Hakerspaces, Fabrication Spaces, Makers, Peer Production, 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship, Cluster Analysis, Business Models Classification

Suggested Citation

Mortara, Letizia and Parisot, Nicolas, Through Entrepreneurs’ Eyes: The Fab-Spaces Constellation (May 24, 2016). International Journal of Production Research – Special Issue on “DISTRIBUTED MANUFACTURING TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY” - Prof. Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Prof. Sir Mike Gregory, Prof. Baldev Raj, Eds, (Forthcoming), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2783707

Letizia Mortara (Contact Author)

University of Cambridge - Institute for Manufacturing ( email )

17 Charles Babbage Road
Cambridge, CB3 0FS
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/people/lm367/

Nicolas Parisot

University of Cambridge - Department of Engineering ( email )

Cambridge
United Kingdom

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