Can Open-Source Hardware Disrupt Manufacturing Industries? The Role of Platforms and Trust in the Rise of 3d Printing

J. P. Ferdinand & U. Petschow (Hrsg.), The Decentralized and Networked Future of Value Creation: 3D Printing and its Implications for Society, 2016

20 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2016 Last revised: 19 Jun 2016

See all articles by Sebastian Spaeth

Sebastian Spaeth

University of Hamburg

J. Hausberg

School of Business Administration and Economics, University of Osnabrueck

Date Written: June 1, 2016

Abstract

The costs of 3D printing have rapidly fallen and have thus provoked new interest in this technology, which by itself does not pose a revolutionary challenge. Prima facie, it seems to present a fitting analogy to the extreme price declines in computing that Christensen described as the “Innovator’s Dilemma”. We argue that it is necessary to look beyond the direct increased possibilities a 3D printer provides and focus on the disruptions in workflows and processes that will follow. Similarly to how the development of common open source tools and infrastructure enabled start-ups to cheaply build on existing knowledge, the creation of common knowledge pools and tools will shape the way in which many companies will interact and source knowledge on physical artifacts in the future. We argue that its impact and success crucially depends on how the available platforms develop and support the creation of trust in the relevant communities.

Keywords: 3D printing, Platform, Open Source, Open Source Hardware

JEL Classification: O31, O32

Suggested Citation

Spaeth, Sebastian and Hausberg, Johann Piet, Can Open-Source Hardware Disrupt Manufacturing Industries? The Role of Platforms and Trust in the Rise of 3d Printing (June 1, 2016). J. P. Ferdinand & U. Petschow (Hrsg.), The Decentralized and Networked Future of Value Creation: 3D Printing and its Implications for Society, 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2790830

Sebastian Spaeth (Contact Author)

University of Hamburg ( email )

Von-Melle-Park 9
Hamburg, 20146
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://digital-markets.info

Johann Piet Hausberg

School of Business Administration and Economics, University of Osnabrueck ( email )

Rolandstr. 8
Osnabrück, 49074
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.wiwi.uni-osnabrueck.de/tim

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