OPENMAKERFACTSHEET

Fulltitle:HarnessingthepowerofDigitalSocialPlatformstoshakeupmakersandmanufacturingentrepreneurstowardsaEuropeanOpenManufacturingecosystemCall:ICT10-2015CollectiveAwarenessPlatformsforSustainabilityandSocialInnovation-DigitalSocialPlatformsGrantNumber:687941StartDate:20June2016Duration:24months

INTRODUCTION

The European manufacturing landscape is in urgent need of change. In 2014, manufacturingrepresentedabout16%oftheEUGDP,morethan80%ofEUtotalexports,80%ofprivateResearch&Developmentexpenditure,andemployed30millionpeople.However,thefinancialcrisishasheavilyhitthesector,combiningitsnegativeeffectwithongoingglobalisationandtechnologicalinnovationnegativeexternalities.Togetherthesefactorshaveculminatedinthelossofover3.8millionjobs.

Reinvigoratingthemanufacturingsectorisacomplextaskthatrequirestransformationattheheartof production processes andmodels uponwhich our industrial society has been built. Inroads ingenerating this scale of shift in manufacturing have been made in areas conducive to opentechnologiesinthefieldsofdigitalfabricationandcraftsmanship–wherethemanufacturingsectorhascomeintocontactwiththeemergingsocial-technologybasedMakermovement,innovationandgrowth emerges. This drives the democratisation of production, turning manufacturing into aparticipatory, collaborative, and open process in which all agents share risks and benefits and,ultimately,increasethevalueofproduction.

OBJECTIVES

TheOpenMakerprojectaimstocreateatransformationalandcollaborativeecosystemthatfosterscollective innovations within the European manufacturing sector and drives it towards moresustainablebusinessmodels,productionprocesses,products,andgovernancesystems.

Building on the paradigm of Open Manufacturing, the project will achieve this goal by bringingtogether traditional manufacturers and digital-savvy makers, and engaging in the process all therelevantstakeholderssuchascitizens,universities, localauthorities,civil societyorganisationsandpolicy-makers.

LeveragingonICT-poweredprocesses,OpenMakerwillenablethecreationofanenvironmentwheretrustinbusinesspartnersandengagementincommonvaluesdrivetheinnovationprocesstowardsmoresustainableproducts.

ACTIVITIES

1. TheOpenMakerconsortiumwillrunanacceleratorprogrammeinfourEuropeancities(Florence,Birmingham,BratislavaandBilbao)byestablishinga‘LocalEnablingSpace’(LES)ineachcity.WithineachLES,theEnablersarededicatedhumanresourceswithsoundcommunitymanagementskills.Enablerswilldeployactivemethodsforcommunitybuildingandengagement,primarilytargetingtraditionalmanufacturersandmakers,aswellas

citizensandstakeholders.TheEnablingProgrammewillensurethesuccessfulestablishmentofpartnershipsandcooperationbetweentraditionalmanufacturesandmakers.TheEnablingProgrammewillconsistofasetofwell-plannedincentivesandopportunities,includingseminars,matchingevents,andaprizecompetition.TheEnablingProgrammewillimplementarangeofactionsforcommunityandpartnershipbuilding,including:• Mappingoftargetgroups• Establishment of Local Enabling Spaces (LES) where makers, innovators, traditional

manufacturingentrepreneursaswellascitizensandstakeholdersareencouragedtoworklocally

• DeliveringineachLESanenablingprogrammededicatedtoboostingrelations• Launching a Piloting Support Scheme in the form of an Open Call which will make

€400,000availabletofund20projectsthatbringtogethertraditionalmanufacturersandmakersintheLES.

2. TheOpenMakerDigitalSocialPlatform(SM-DSP)willprovideOpenMakerparticipantswithadigitalenvironmenttostayengaged(online),therebysupportingparticipantstobetterdeveloptheirsocialcapitalandincreasetheirsocialimpactintermsofinnovation,knowledgetransfer,andbusinesssuccess.TheSM-DSPwillbuildonmembers’concreteneedsandvaluesandbringthemtogetherinacommunity-buildingprocess,multiplyingtheinnovationpotentialofeachacceleratorprogrammethankstoanovelapproachtosocialplatformsbasedonnotionsofsharedvaluesandtrust-basednetworks.Theplatformwill:• Enhancethequantityandqualityofsocialinteractionsandtrustrelationsamong

membersacrossdifferentacceleratorprogrammesandwiththewiderglobalcommunityofmakersandmanufacturers.

• Monitortheevolutionofthecommunitiesandfeedbackthenetworkmetricsofsocialimpactandinnovationsuccesstotheirmembers.

3. TheConsortiumwillmakepolicyrecommendationsthatpromoteopenmanufacturingacrossgeographicalandsocio-economicborders

4. Institutionalandpoliticalinterestinthepotentialforopenmanufacturingwillberaisedbycommunicatingandextrapolatingmoregeneralconclusionstodefinesuccessfulstrategiesanddigitaltoolstoscale-upcommunitiesorientedtowardssocialinnovationinthemanufacturingsectorandreplicatingit.

PARTNERS

1. TheYoungFoundation(TeamLeader)(UK)2. BogaziciUniversity(TR)3. Centire(SK)4. ScuolaImt(Istituzioni,Mercati,Tecnologie)AltiStudiDiLucca(IT)5. LAMA(IT)6. Tecnalia(ES)7. Top-ix(IT)8. UniversityofZurich(CH)9. Accord(UK)10. PlusValue(UK)

Wealsocountendorsementsfromanetworkof18partnersacrossEurope