We are a global alliance of people and organizations who believe in a future of production defined by decentralized manufacturing and shared knowledge. We are building a foundation to enable this future, a world where people can quickly create and fabricate products made from a combination of locally sourced materials and global designs, enabling networks of local manufacturers to connect, allowing them to compete against mass produced imports and globalised supply chains.
Groups currently represented in this community cover hardware design, design sharing platforms, manufacturers and manufacturing associations, maker and fab lab communities, assistive technology, disaster relief, international development, and open science hardware.
The Internet of Production Alliance is driven by its team, council, working groups & task forces.
We are building open infrastructures that enable anyone, everywhere, to participate in production.
Our main focus areas are:
Open standards and protocols - We maintain the open standards and protocols that are necessary for an internet of production that enables global & decentralized yet harmonious production.
Practical & accessible knowledge - We gather and share information on how decentralized manufacturing can work in practice, both to inform our work on standards and to pave the way for a future of decentralized production.
Connection & exchange - We actively foster connections and exchanges within our network while extending our vision beyond.
Find more information on our Initiatives page.
We believe that the future of production lies in decentralized manufacturing based on shared knowledge, allowing us to deliver products faster, made from locally sourced materials and with less ecological impact.
Slow and Inefficient supply chains
Innovations throughout the 20th century introduced many productivity and technological improvements, leading to the global mass manufacturing system we have today.
These global supply chains work really well for getting mass produced items to mass markets. But they are not effective at getting exactly the products people want, when and where they want them, all over the globe. They have many drawbacks, not least hidden vulnerabilities and high ecological impact.
Shifting to Global Knowledge
The 21st century is a century of knowledge and globalization. Latest IT and advanced engineering enable us to share knowledge instantly across the globe.
By introducing decentralized manufacturing based on shared knowledge, we can deliver the right products where they are needed, faster, with lower ecological impact.
Supporting Local Communities
Ensuring people can partake in production and have equitable access to goods they need, no matter their location. We put people and their empowerment at the heart of everything we do, fostering agency over the things we depend on daily.
All while preserving our planet's ecosystems and resources through carbon and waste reduction, promoting repair, and circular economies.
We bring together people and organisations interested in creating this future of decentralized production, to define and document open-source tools that can then be implemented by anyone in the world.
We currently have two main modes of operating:
Working Groups - Bringing together experts and interested parties in particular fields to contribute on a topic. To date we have created and published two Open Data Models. Each was written by a different global working group after a 6-month plus, openly documented collaborative process.
Collaborative Projects - Getting involved in real-world projects that test new approaches, implement open standards, and otherwise contribute to the sum of open knowledge about how decentralized manufacturing can work in practice. Such projects are executed by members but the Alliance plays a role in ensuring the learnings are captured & disseminated.
The founding members of the Internet of Production Alliance defined a set of principles for how we work towards creating the future we want to see. We refer to them in everything we do.
Formal launch of Open Know-Where Standard after initial trials in Uganda. Find out more
Launch of the Electronic Components standard development process. Find out more
The first version of the Open Know-Where standard is released following 10 months of community consultation. Find out more
The first version of the Open Know-How standard isreleased. Find out more
The Internet of Production Alliance is founded during the Internet of Manufacturing summit in Warsaw, Poland. A first governance is drafted, a council is appointed and working groups are constituted.
Blockchain based Distributed Contracting System trialled in Kathmandu, Nepal
MakerNet in represented at the Fab13 symposium in Santiago, Chile. MakerNet joins the Enabling Ecosystems panel. Fab13 website
Engagement of the MakerNet with the AfricaOSH community on distributed manufacturing at the AfricaOSH summit in Kumasi, Ghana. Follow AfricaOSH
MakerNet event on Health Innovations held at Gearbox, Nairobi, Kenya
Five organisations come together to start the MakerNet pilot project in Nairobi, Kenya. Read the report
First public airing of ideas behind the IOP Alliance at re:publica in Berlin, Germany. The concept of an IOP was named MakerNet until 2019. View recording here
