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  • Makespaces: From Redistributed Manufacturing to a Circular Economy

Prendeville, Sharon, Hartung, Grit, Purvis, Erica, Brass, Clare and Hall, Ashley, 2016, Book Section, Makespaces: From Redistributed Manufacturing to a Circular Economy In: Setchi, Rossi, Howlett, Robert, Liu, Ying and Theobald, Peter, (eds.) Sustainable Design and Manufacturing. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 52, 1 (1). Springer, Germany, pp. 577-588. ISBN 978-3-319-32096-0

Abstract or Description:

Redistributed manufacturing is an emerging concept which captures the anticipated reshoring and localisation of production from large scale manufacturing plants to smaller-scale localised, customisable production units, largely driven by new additive digital production technologies. Critically, community based digital fabrication workshops, or makespaces, are anticipated to be the hothouse for this new era of localised production and as such are key to future sustainable design and manufacturing practices. In parallel, the concept of the circular economy (CE) conceptualises the move from a linear economy of take-make-waste to a closed loop system, through repair, remanufacturing, refurbishment and recycling which maintains the value of materials and resources. Despite the clear interplay between RdM and CE, there is limited research exploring this relationship. In light of these interconnected developments, the aim of this paper is to explore the role of makespaces in contributing to a circular economy through RdM activities. This is achieved through six semi-structured interviews with thought leaders on these topics. The research findings identify barriers and opportunities to both CE and RdM, uncover key overlaps between CE and RdM, and identify a range of future research directions that can support the coming together of these areas. The research contributes to a wider conversation on embedding circular practices within makespaces and their role in RdM.

Subjects: Creative Arts and Design > W200 Design studies > W240 Industrial/Product Design
School or Centre: School of Design
Funders: EPSRC
Identification Number or DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32096-0
Date Deposited: 29 May 2016 13:55
Last Modified: 09 Nov 2018 14:27
URI: https://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/id/eprint/1782
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