MAKE-IT is not the only Horizon 2020 CAPS project to work with the Maker movement, other projects are addressing it with different perspectives. For example, OpenCare empowers care receivers to design and prototype bottom-up solutions to specific care problems. The European network of makerspaces, Fab Labs, etc. makes these solutions distributed, as every prototype devised can be reproduced, tested and deployed anywhere in the world.
Making Sense aims to explore how open source software, open source hardware, digital maker practices and open design can be effectively used by local communities to fabricate their own sensing tools, make sense of their environments and address pressing environmental problems in air, water, soil and sound pollution (beside MAKE-IT, IAAC | Fab Lab Barcelona also participates in this project).
OpenMaker aims to create a transformational and collaborative ecosystem that fosters collective innovations within the European manufacturing sector by connecting makers and established companies and drives it towards more sustainable business models, production processes, products, and governance systems by bringing together manufacturers and makers. It is especially important to note now the call for the OpenMaker Pilot Support Scheme
OpenMaker is seeking strong and innovative applications from Maker-Manufacturer teams who aim to have a social impact on their surrounding communities. The 20 best proposals will receive a commission of € 20,000 to develop their project as part of our Pilot Support Scheme (PSS). A total of € 400,000 is dedicated to seed funding for 20 projects, and 5 projects will be accelerated by hubs in Slovakia (Bratislava), Italy (Firenze/Torino), Spain (Bilbao) and United Kingdom (Wolverhampton/Birmingham/Liverpool/Salford). The goal is to foster collaboration between makers and manufacturers, prototype innovations including products, production processes, supply or value chains, distribution or ownership, and encourage partnerships that are sustainable and deliver social impact.Submissions are open September 18 – October 18, 2017; more information here and in the community platform designed to support the growth of the OpenMaker community at explorer.openmaker.eu.
Furthermore, OpenMaker and MAKE-IT just started collaborating, we are working right now on planning events together and I’ve just been recently chosen as part of the Advisory Board of OpenMaker, I’m really happy that I have one more opportunity to help makers, researchers and business actors to know each other and further collaborare!
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