A knowledge Alliance between HEIs, makers and manufacturers to boost Open Design & Manufacturing in Europe

OD&M developed an Alliance between HEIs, traditional manufacturers and innovation communities of digital-savvy makers, in order to set up a trust-based framework able to generate knowledge and capacity conducive to:- For HEIs, the increased capacity to prepare the next generation of designers and manufacturers, following approaches inspired by the maker movement;- For traditional manufacturers, the increased awareness of the innovation potential rooted in Open Manufacturing for greater sustainability and competitiveness, and new partnerships and collaborations with HEIs and innovation communities;- For makers and Open manufacturing enterprises, the reinforcement and further development of their identity as a sector able to offer new jobs and entrepreneurship.To achieve such goals, OD&M focus on the construction, piloting, evaluation and uptake of a capacity-building programme that allows the 3 actors to engage in the process, to operate with mutual benefit, and to generate knowledge and capacity to fully embed Open Manufacturing in the triangle. OD&M worked through 3 main steps:- A research aimed at investigating the maker movement in terms of knowledge and skills and learning/teaching processes underpinning Fablabs;- A co-design of the Open Design & Manufacturing Enabling Programme along 3 directions: a training prototype, a methodology to develop multi-stakeholder communities oriented to open innovation in design and manufacturing, a digital environment hosting the communities created.- A pilot action to deliver the Enabling Programme in the 4 nodes of the Alliance (IT, UK, SP, PL).Three main results are expected:- The innovation of HEIs’ training offer with new courses on Open design and manufacturing and new teaching/learning methods - A potentiated relation between the 3 actors, leading to new partnerships- The increased knowledge and awareness of the innovation potential of Open Design and Manufacturing across HEIs and traditional manufacturers.