Entrepreneurs in the making: Six decisions for fostering entrepreneurship through maker spaces

摘要

Maker spaces-shared production facilities offering access to basic and advanced manufacturing technologies-have quickly become the latest must-have for universities, large corporations, and communities looking to foster entrepreneurship and innovation. While the entrepreneurial and educational prospects of maker spaces are certainly intriguing, questions remain concerning their design and effectiveness. Drawing primarily on case evidence and conversations with five maker spaces located across the U.S., we identify and present six key decisions for maker space leaders looking to foster entrepreneurship in their organizations. We conclude with a decision framework for maker space leaders and a series of questions for entrepreneurs as both groups work to pursue entrepreneurship through and in maker spaces. (C) 2020 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.