Before my internship at DDC, I had never heard the term ‘open-source hardware’ (OSH). As an innovation and entrepreneurship student, I was surprised that this was the case since OSH holds enormous potential and benefits for companies, customers, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

Here are three recommendations that hopefully inspire you to embark on your own OSH journey.

1. The Revenue Model Catalog: How others have succeeded with OSH

   In its essence, OSH means that the design files or blueprint of a physical product has been released to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify, repair, and replicate the item. But how do you make money from giving away your design for free? The Revenue Model Catalog (RMC) was created to answer this question.

   The current version of RMC contains a collection of five case companies, including Arduino and Prusa3D that are turning a profit and generating value with OSH. Focusing on both customers, offerings, and strategic approaches, the catalog allows you to explore and consider how OSH strategies can benefit your business. The RMC is, in true OSH fashion, an open document and a work in progress. We encourage readers to send us feedback to develop, document, and illustrate together. Visit it here.

   The Revenue Model Catalog is developed by DDC as part of the EU-funded project OPEN!NEXT.

2. Podcast: Make:cast – Ten Years of Open Source Hardware

   What role do community and certification play in OSH? What solutions does OSH provide to the many challenges that COVID-19 gave birth to? And how can OSH leverage educational institutions? In the podcast Ten Years of Open Source Hardware, these are some subjects that Alicia Gibb, Executive Director and Board President Michael Weinberg of The Open Source Hardware, touch upon. If you want to get an overview of OSH but have limited time, this 30-minute podcast is your best bet.

3. Event: The Open Hardware Summit 2022

   Are you already hooked on OSH? Then you should consider joining The Open Hardware Summit on April 22nd, 2022. The annual conference is organized by the Open Source Hardware Association and this year, the conference is held virtually. “Speakers include world-renowned leaders from industry, academia, the arts, and the global maker community. Talks cover a wide range of subjects from electronics, mechanics to related fields such as digital fabrication, fashion technology, self-quantification devices, and IP law”. I’ll definitely be joining! Sign up and read more here.