FabLabs: The Road to Distributed and Sustainable Technological Training through Digital Manufacturing

María-Elena García-Ruiz and Francisco-Javier Lena-Acebo
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María-Elena García-Ruiz: Department of Business Administration, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Francisco-Javier Lena-Acebo: Department of Business Administration, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-32

Abstract: The fast expansion of digital culture has fostered the creation of makerspaces such as fabrication laboratories (FabLabs) that, thanks to their flexibility and their use of open source tools, strengthen the sense of community and produce true transformations within those communities. Despite their relevance, few studies focus on the characterization of these environments. This paper presents the results of the FabLab Global Survey, aimed at understanding the characteristics of FabLabs through the visions of their managers, or “FabManagers”. The results show an enormous diversity of approaches within the FabLab movement that cannot be extrapolated to a single characteristic element, but that allow its global compression. Their properties reveal them as transforming elements that eliminate technological and cultural barriers, empowering user communities and optimizing learning processes regarding digital technology. FabLab activities allow not only economic and industrial development thanks to innovative projects, but also a digital technology approach for young students and the inclusion of minorities at risk, thus eliminating old cultural and social barriers.

Keywords: fablabs; digital manufacturing; sustainability; digital culture; open source; maker culture; collaborative ecologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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