Collaborative Innovation in the Digital Economy: A Case Study of the Maker Movement in South-East Asia
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Environment, Education and Development
Abstract
A danger of the emerging digital economy is that it fosters inequality, with benefits flowing mainly to the rich countries of the global North and, via proprietary models, to multinational ICT corporations (UNCSTD, 2015). The research proposed here investigates one element of a more inclusive approach which could enable digital economy benefits to flow via new collaborative innovation models to the emerging economies and low-income communities of the global South.
With information and communication technologies (ICTs) connecting ever-more people and resources, we have witnessed new models of digital economic activity. ICTs have enabled "peer production" where groups of individuals collaboratively create digital goods and services. ICTs have enabled emergence of the "sharing economy" where excess resources are shared and re-used.
This environment has served as an ideal incubator for the Maker Movement - collaborative fabrication and modification of low-cost, open-source technologies by innovation communities in order to develop new physical and digital goods. The communities of innovators work both online and offline. They are connected via social media, online fora and other digital channels so their work is both enabled by and creating new digital products.
Offline, innovators work together physically in local, regional and global workshops. These workshops have various names including makerspace, hackerspace and FabLab. Local versions become grassroots innovation hubs for entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts and the general public, by providing regular and organised space with a variety of digital design and fabrication technologies. With over 1,000 hackerspaces and 300 FabLabs operating around the world, the movement is quickly becoming a global phenomenon.
This research project will decipher the collaborative social, economic and technical innovations of the Maker Movement and define its role in the digital economy with a focus on countries in Southeast Asia. The findings from these countries can offer insights into the diverse nature of the Maker Movement, and its potential role in promoting a more inclusive digital economy.
With information and communication technologies (ICTs) connecting ever-more people and resources, we have witnessed new models of digital economic activity. ICTs have enabled "peer production" where groups of individuals collaboratively create digital goods and services. ICTs have enabled emergence of the "sharing economy" where excess resources are shared and re-used.
This environment has served as an ideal incubator for the Maker Movement - collaborative fabrication and modification of low-cost, open-source technologies by innovation communities in order to develop new physical and digital goods. The communities of innovators work both online and offline. They are connected via social media, online fora and other digital channels so their work is both enabled by and creating new digital products.
Offline, innovators work together physically in local, regional and global workshops. These workshops have various names including makerspace, hackerspace and FabLab. Local versions become grassroots innovation hubs for entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts and the general public, by providing regular and organised space with a variety of digital design and fabrication technologies. With over 1,000 hackerspaces and 300 FabLabs operating around the world, the movement is quickly becoming a global phenomenon.
This research project will decipher the collaborative social, economic and technical innovations of the Maker Movement and define its role in the digital economy with a focus on countries in Southeast Asia. The findings from these countries can offer insights into the diverse nature of the Maker Movement, and its potential role in promoting a more inclusive digital economy.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Richard Heeks (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Ryo Seo-Zindy (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/R513131/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 1654666 | Studentship | EP/R513131/1 | 01/10/2015 | 17/12/2018 | Ryo Seo-Zindy |
| Description | - The rise of the small-scale industry 4.0 production networks in developing countries (with the case study of Vietnam) which could enable more bottom-up approach to digitalise the manufacturing of goods - Increasingly blurred institutional roles (e.g. spin-offs from academia) and the growth of start-up communities driving changes in the national innovation system. Traditionally top-down/state-oriented innovation policies started to incorporate more experimental and inclusive approach in policy making to meet the demands of these new actors. |
| Exploitation Route | - the research could expand into different developing countries to see whether similar developments are happening - adding another perspective on the development of Industry 4.0 to look at how smaller, niche production can be fostered locally - a deeper analysis of digital and physical production processes in developing countries (in line with the digitalisation of economic activities) |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Post-automation symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Adound 50 people attended the three days symposium which sparked discussions during and after the sessions. The Sussex University which organised the symposium published a workshop report and a series of papers on their website. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |