Covid-19 Response From Global Makers: The Careables Cases of Global Design and Local Production

Abstract

Makerspaces—informal shared spaces that offer access to technologies, resources and a community of peer learners for making—across the globe initiated a rapid response to the lack of medical hardware supplies during the global pandemic outbreak in early 2020 caused by the Corona virus (COVID-19). As our health systems faced unexperienced pressure, being close to collapsing in some countries, and global supply chains failing to react immediately, makers started to prototype, locally produce and globally share designs of Open Source healthcare products, such as face shields and other medical supplies. Local collaboration with hospitals and healthcare professionals were established. These bottom-up initiatives from maker networks across the globe are showing us how responsible innovation is happening outside the constraints of profit-driven large industries. In this qualitative study we present five cases from a global network of makers that contributed to the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and healthcare-related products. We draw our cases from the experiences made in Careables, a mixed community of people and organizations committed to the co-design and making of open, personalized healthcare for everyone. With the presented cases we reflect on the potential implications for post-pandemic local production of healthcare products and analyze them from a social innovation perspective. These global experiences are valuable indications of transformative innovations that can reduce dependencies from international supply chains and mainstream mass production.

How makers responded to the Personal Protective Equipment shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis focused on the Hauts-de-France region

“… Bobillier-Chaumon and Dubois, 2009 ; Chalet et al, 2021 ; Chignard, 2021 ; Corsini et al, 2021 ; Dubois and Bobillier-Chaumon, 2009 ; García and Cuartielles, 2020 ; Grandadam et al, 2013 ; Kieslinger et al, 2021 ; Troxler, 2014 ; Viseur, 2014 .…”

How Open Is the Maker Movement? Integrative Literature Review of the Openness Practices in the Global Maker Movement

“…During this global crisis many medical supplies have been in danger of running out, as demand for them has suddenly exploded. In some countries, the open hardware approach has been invaluable in providing more medical hardware, such as face masks, face shields and even 3D printed ventilators [40]. Hospitals in both developed and developing economies have bought medical hardware from makers even though it cannot be guaranteed to fulfil all safety requirements, as regularly manufactured hardware was not available [41].…”

“…The materials that Western makers use routinely and are able to purchase from any hardware store might not be available elsewhere [68]. The current COVID-19 pandemic has given even relatively well-developed countries an experience of suffering from resource scarcity, as medical hardware has been in danger of running out [40][41][42]. Luckily, with some resourcefulness and creativity, alternative, frugal designs utilising locally available materials can be developed [41,42,68].…”

Research, Development & Digital Manufacturing using 3D Printing: challenges for the development and regulation of devices in the health area

“…Estratégias e soluções imediatas e inovadoras foram necessárias para solucionar este problema emergente. Devido à crise de saúde pública, diversos fabricantes e indivíduos (os chamados makers) começaram prototipar e produzir localmente peças para ajudar os hospitais (RICHTERICH, A., 2020) e laboratórios de fabricação digital (KIESLINGER et al, 2021;DIEZ e BAECK, 2020).…”