Vasilis Kostakis

Design global, manufacture local: assessing the practices, innovation, and sustainability potential of an emerging mode of production

In the midst of a systemic crisis, it is imperative to raise evidence-informed awareness of new capitalist and post-capitalist futures. The COSMOLOCALISM project explores a new way of creating and using technology where designs are shared globally but products are manufactured locally. For example, a community of small-scale farmers in France collectively designs and manufactures their own agricultural machines and shares these designs with the world, as a global commons. Another community in the United States does the same, and these two communities connect and create synergies by improving the same commons. Current high-tech solutions often rely on unsustainable resource extraction and inhumane labour practices in the Global South. Existing technological and economic paradigms tend to exacerbate rather than solve environmental and inequality issues. Cosmolocal production offers a promising approach that could address these challenges while prioritising sustainability and social equity.

Result

COSMOLOCALISM made significant strides in reimagining sustainable socio-economic systems. It introduced the "cosmolocal" concept, challenging traditional spatial dualities, and developed the "mid-tech" approach to balance efficiency with resilience in technological development. The project conducted comprehensive sustainability assessments of distributed manufacturing products and identified unique organisational patterns in cosmolocal initiatives. The project also explored "convivial innovation" and "commons-based innovation" as alternatives to conventional growth-oriented models. Ultimately, COSMOLOCALISM bridged theoretical research with real-world applications, fostering a network of scholars, activists, and policymakers. Through initiatives like TheOtherSchool, it made complex ideas accessible to broader audiences, paving the way for more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic practices.

Impact

Initiatives like the community-driven makerspaces of Tzoumakers in Greece, Nyamdrel Zo'Sa in Bhutan, Kopli 93 in Tallinn, and the Commonen energy cooperative embody practical applications of COSMOLOCALISM's research findings. These grassroots endeavours address local needs, advocate for sustainable practices, and incubate social change.

Utilising a YouTube series, the Another Football foundation, the Citizens for Open Technology initiative, and novel concepts like Musical Chairs, TheOtherSchool simplified complex COSMOLOCALISM ideas for broader accessibility to audiences that a typical research project would struggle to reach.

Initiatives such as co-founding the Fab City Foundation, hosting interdisciplinary summer schools, and cultivating collaborations among think tanks facilitated global knowledge dissemination and cross-sectoral engagement.