Can Open-Source Hardware Disrupt Manufacturing Industries? The Role of Platforms and Trust in the Rise of 3d Printing

The costs of 3D printing have rapidly fallen and have thus provoked new interest in this technology, which per se does not pose a revolutionary challenge. Prima facie, it seems to present a fitting analogy to the extreme price declines in computing that Christensen described as the “Innovator’s Dilemma”. We argue that it is necessary to look beyond the direct increased possibilities a 3D printer provides and focus on the disruptions in workflows and processes that will follow. Similarly to how the development of common open source software tools and infrastructure enabled start-ups to cheaply build on existing knowledge, the creation of common knowledge pools and tools will shape the way in which many companies will interact and source knowledge on physical artifacts in the future. We argue that its impact and success crucially depends on how the available platforms develop and support the creation of trust in the relevant communities.