Innovation Labs & Maker Spaces
Infrastructure for Open Innovation
The Innovation Labs & Maker Spaces funding programme is a structural contribution to the aims of the Open Innovation Strategy (2016). The programme funds the establishment of innovation workshops offering an innovative environment with both physical and intangible infrastructure. They enable new groups to be involved and mobilised in innovative activities, and act as local, interactive spaces for communication.
Possible forms of Innovation Labs & Maker Spaces:
- They offer a real-world development environment with the necessary physical and intangible RTI infrastructure to enable innovative projects and/or to translate ideas or research results into marketable products and services.
- They support access for new users (e.g. trades, teachers).
- They promote the creation and expansion of innovation expertise and knowledge exchange.
- They provide many user groups with transparent and non-discriminatory access.
- They are designed to be long-term, and can be funded for up to 5 years. During this time they are intended to support innovative businesses, research establishments and other user groups (e.g. schools, private individuals, non-commercial organisations) in their efforts to innovate.
Innovation Labs & Maker Spaces are not:
- existing project clusters
- pure project offices
- highly standardised test environments used as part of approval procedures, e.g. clinical studies