Cui bono? Nodes of Participation in the Maker Movement

Abstract

The maker movement is represented by autonomous Makerspaces and FabLabs worldwide. These open workshops enable people to transfer their ideas into physical objects. They deliver an infrastructure of digital manufacturing technologies and the corresponding knowledge to use this infrastructure. At the same time, they are regarded as the first pioneers of a new economy, in concrete terms: bottom-up economics. But what about the framework conditions of Makerspaces and FabLabs that are conditional to foster the participation in value creation, e.g. participatory design and co-creation? Based on a case analysis of FabLabs and Makerspaces in German-and Arabic-speaking countries qualitative interviews with FabLab representatives have been analysed. The attitudes of Makerspace and FabLab managers became clear; especially, their assumptions underlying their strategies of action according to participatory design and co-creation. How can the virtual and the physical participation be integrated? Which barriers prevent them from unfolding the full potential of their labs? And what measures promote their potential? The paper gives an overview of the country-specific results and allows general insights into the actual barriers and promoting measures. Based on the results, general recommendations can be given to foster participation in design and production processes. In the outlook, the development of bottom-up economics and its participatory characteristic can be illustrated by the analysis of the maker movement.