Espaces de coworking et fablabs des villes petites et moyennes : un rôle de middleground  ?

Abstract

Coworking Spaces and Fablabs in Small and Medium-Sized Cities: Playing the Part of Middleground? This contribution questions the notion of middleground as intermediate between the underground and upperground (Cohendet et al., 2010), applied to the specific context of small and medium-sized cities. The aim is to determine to what extent the "ground model" is relevant for such territories and whether it reveals how collaborative spaces work. The results are based on a multiple case analysis based on a semi-directive interview survey. They reveal some particular features that have not been highlighted in the literature, such as a weak fragmentation between actors (multi-community membership, inter-layer mobility) and an open and transversal functioning of the spaces studied. To conclude, the three different layers in small and mediumsized cities seem more intricate than in metropolises areas.

Les espaces de coworking comme clubs ? Créativité et entre-soi dans les espaces collaboratifs spécialisés dans les secteurs culturels et créatifs

“…La mise en évidence de ce fonctionnement de type club révèle la diversité des espaces de coworking en termes de degré d'ouverture et amène à nuancer le constat régulièrement mis en avant dans la littérature de lieux largement ouverts aux usagers et aux écosystèmes locaux, favorables aux dynamiques d'innovation ouverte, et accessibles à tous (Bouncken et Reuschl, 2018 ;Capdevila, 2015 ;Fabbri et Charue-Duboc, 2016 ;Genoud et Moeckli, 2010). Si nombre d'espaces de coworking sont effectivement ouverts et non sélectifs (Genoud et Moeckli, 2010 ;Le Nadant et Marinos, 2020 ;Liefooghe, 2018), y compris dans les secteurs culturels et créatifs (Michel, 2019), cet article montre que cela ne peut pas être considéré a priori comme une caractéristique de l'ensemble de ces espaces, mais doit au contraire être apprécié comme un critère de différenciation à analyser.…”

Leveraging Stakeholders to Grow Open-source Hardware Business Models: The Case of Barcelona

“…As Innovation Commons, middlegrounds contribute to and ease the process of entrepreneurial discovery, enabling the transformation of ideas from an available creative slack. Research on Fab Labs identifies that, along with pedagogical objectives, they tend to have more or less defined entrepreneurial aims, helping project holders develop fully fledged proof-of-concept prototypes or even startups (Le Nadant, Marinos, 2020;Liotard, 2020) making the topic of business models central. These think-tanks funnel projects originating from the different entities to Fab Labs for prototyping, and to match startups and firms with appropriate competencies (Menichinelli, Schmidt, 2020;Capdevila, 2017;Troxler, 2010).…”

Trade unions facing a French industrial policy: The emergence of a medical imaging filière

“…The center would host laboratory facilities, prototyping equipment, and manufacturing lines to enhance the pilot-manufacturing process for other firms. Like fablabs, the aim of this center, is to create a local middleground (Nadant and Marinos, 2020), connect industry partners (firms, science, users, public authorities) to complete the three levels of the innovation system (Amable, 2000): science, technology and industry. Indeed, prototyping and pilot-manufacturing processes can be a key challenge to small firms' growth.…”