The Critical Making project is a research and innovation initiative that explores the intersection of the global maker movement and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). By bringing critical thinking into technology development, the project examines how grassroots innovation can foster a more open, inclusive, and sustainable society.
While the maker movement has democratized access to tools and technology, Critical Making looks deeper into the social dimensions of these practices. It focuses on how maker communities can move beyond “making for the sake of making” to address societal challenges, reflect on power structures, and ensure that innovation is accessible to everyone, regardless of gender or background.
Core Pillars of the Project
The project’s activities are centered around three transformative themes:
- Gender: Co-creating measures to counteract existing gender imbalances within maker culture. This includes developing guidelines for gender awareness in both physical makerspaces and digital community platforms.
- Young Talents: Engaging young people in making to build skills for responsible innovation. The project explores educational tools that empower the next generation to use technology as a force for social good.
- Openness: Strengthening the social responsibility of the open hardware movement. Through mentoring programs for open hardware business innovations, the project helps makers align their technical work with sustainable and ethical business models.
Defining Critical Making
At the heart of the project are six core values that guide the global maker community:
- Open: Promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Local & Connected: Thinking globally while acting within specific socio-cultural contexts.
- Social & Diverse: Reflecting on the living realities and ethical implications of making.
- Reflexive: Re-thinking dominant maker cultures and underlying power structures.
- Impactful: Seeking to improve lives and build a sustainable future.
- Joyful & Meaningful: Combining the passion for creating with a clear individual or social purpose.
Our Contribution and Resources
As a key partner in this consortium, the Global Innovation Gathering has contributed to bridging the gap between scientific research and grassroots practice. The project has produced a wealth of resources, including:
- The Critical Making Mentoring Program: Supporting open hardware projects in scaling their impact.
- Gender Awareness Guidelines: Practical toolkits for making spaces more inclusive.
- The Critical Making Forum: An online space for global practitioners to exchange insights on socially responsible innovation.
Critical Making shows that by “pausing, making, and unmaking,” we can reshape technology to serve humanity more equitably.
For further details, research outputs, and publications, visit the official Critical Making website.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
