'Makerspaces' boost community resilience. It's time to support them

Makerspaces are central to the vision of the Maker movement, which was hailed on its emergence a decade ago as part of the fourth industrial revolution. The Maker movement aims to democratize innovation and production by encouraging people to use new technology to share ideas and develop and produce their own goods locally.

Makerspaces are often community-based, but can also be organized by universities or businesses. They go by different names, including Fab Labs, hackerspaces and tech shops, but all provide access to a range of tools, including 3D printers, laser cutters, milling machines, wood and metalworking machinery, sewing machines and electronics benches. While no two makerspaces are the same, they share a common ethos of openness and collaboration, being connected online with the broader Maker community. This means that non-specialists can collaborate remotely using shared design files.

Many of the first makerspaces were located in the US and Europe, but they have now sprung up all over the world, including in low and middle-income countries. According to the Fab Lab network there are over 2,000 globally and this number is growing every year. Studies have shown that makerspaces can help to cultivate the creativity and confidence of learners, and to improve the inclusion and wellbeing of marginalized groups.

In recent years, makerspaces have also been involved in tackling a range of pressing global challenges. Nepal Communitere, a makerspace in Kathmandu, was set up in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake to help produce and repair essential items. Glia have been 3D printing life-saving tourniquets at hubs across Gaza since 2016. During the COVID-19 pandemic, makerspaces acted as flexible manufacturing hubs to produce life-saving equipment, such as PPE, diagnostics and clinical care equipment. An estimated 48.3 million items of PPE were produced by Makers globally, with a net worth of $271 million.

When the pandemic began, the non-governmental organization Field Ready was already working in challenging environments, from Syrian conflict zones and refugee camps in Bangladesh to vulnerable communities in the US. It quickly pivoted its programmes, with staff members developing a range of items to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including face coverings, visors and hands-free taps. It shared these designs openly, allowing them to be produced in different locations and adjusted to local demands, such as size requirements and social preferences.

In Iraq, a makerspace called Mosul Space produced home-sewn masks and visors, which were distributed to hospitals. In Nepal, Field Ready collaborated with other innovation labs to repair broken ventilators, as well as coordinating the production of masks, hands-free taps, visors and gowns. In Bangladesh, Field Ready formed partnerships with local businesses and makerspaces to meet the huge demand from refugees. In Fiji, the organization worked with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to produce face shields, privacy screens and hand washing stations.

In Malawi, Twenti makerspace distributed over 6,000 visors to public hospitals, schools and local businesses within a few weeks of starting operations. In Ethiopia, BiT makerspace distributed essential PPE to local hospitals and testing centers, and has also been working on a low-cost oxygen concentrator in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.

These achievements are particularly impressive considering that the response was mainly driven by voluntary citizen action. So far, makerspaces have been run on a shoestring and without proper institutional support - now it is time that they were properly formalized, supported and funded.

An important first step is for governments to formally recognise makerspaces as critical infrastructure. There are several reasons for this:

We urge policy makers and government to develop policies, in coordination with the Maker community, to actively support makerspaces and strengthen their networks.