The Maker Movement and the Disruption of the Producer-Consumer Relation

Elisabeth Unterfrauner, Christian Voigt, Maria Schrammel, Massimo Menichinelli

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

Abstract

The Maker movement represents a return of interest to the physical side of digital innovation. To explore expectations and values within the Maker movement, we applied qualitative research method, interviewing 10 managers of maker initiative as well as 39 makers from eight different countries. The paper analyses how the Maker movement is contributing to a change in production, logistics and supply chains and how it changes the relationship between producer and consumer. Based on the interview data and supported by literature, the study indicates that the Maker movement has the potential to impact producer-consumer relationships in many ways. Making, on a bigger scale would mean producing locally, de-centralised and on-demand. This would have an impact on the logistics and the supply chain. Long transportation routes would be avoided and shorter supply chains would make some of the-in-between vendors obsolete. Makers as prosumers, who produce for themselves, are introducing two growing phenomena: a more personalised relationship between maker and object and personalised products as a form of self-expression.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternet Science
PublisherSpringer
Pages113-125
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-77547-0
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-77546-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2017
MoE publication typeA4 Conference publication

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
PublisherSpringer, Cham
Volume10750

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