Under the leadership of Helmut Schmidt University, the Institute for Innovation Marketing is collaborating with Kühne Logistics University, HafenCity University Hamburg, and Bucerius Law School to explore scientific questions related to a city where (almost) everything can be self-produced. This interdisciplinary project, funded by the Digitalization and Technology Research Center of the Bundeswehr (dtec.bw) with a total of approximately 9 million euros until 2024, aims to develop empirically validated recommendations for digital, networked, and urban value creation.
The research partners share the common goal of fostering digital, networked urban value creation. FabLabs, which can reduce dependence on global supply chains and promote the realization of a circular economy, play a crucial role in this vision. These decentralized and open production workshops are accessible to private individuals, SMEs, and start-ups, offering them access to digital production technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC milling machines. The use of open-source hardware and software facilitates the establishment of new FabLabs. The joint project analyzes the technical, structural, legal, market, and social aspects of Fab Cities.
In the sub-project "No Diffusion, No Impact," the Institute for Innovation Marketing, in collaboration with Dr. Marvin Klein and Prof. Christian Lüthje, investigates the key factors influencing the diffusion of innovations developed in FabLabs. The focus extends beyond the diffusion of new products among end-users to include the transfer of FabLab developments to the regional economy.
