Redistribute: Distributed Manufacturing for a Just Future

The 20th Century saw the manufacturing of all kinds of "stuff" become more and more centralized in a few places around the world, with supply chains becoming longer and more complex. Technically, we now know how to do the opposite and make most things close to where they are needed - shortening supply chains, reducing transport emissions, allowing for the use of locally available materials, making it easier to repair and re-use things.  In practice, while it is easy to find examples of successful trials and pilots - it is much harder to find examples where local production is economically sustainable and scaling out.

This panel will discuss the following interrelated questions:

• What are the models of scaling in a decentralized manufacturing system?
• Could distributed manufacturing become the dominant mode of production? What would need to change for that to happen, and what are the implications for global wealth distribution if it did?
• Can a change in the mode of production happen on a purely technical and economic basis or is a change in values and culture an essential part of a shift?
• Are makerspaces mainly for education and prototyping, or do they have a role to play in a distributed manufacturing ecosystem?
• While we're still living in the current economic system, how can we fund organisations that are helping us to shift to a new one?

Drawing on examples from Berlin to Ukraine to Kenya to Bangladesh, we will discuss emerging economic and business models around distributed manufacturing, and why our relationship with the things we use may need to change along with the model of how they get to us.

Martin Oloo's participation at re:publica 23 is kindly made possible by the Robert Bosch Foundation.