This document discusses strategic considerations for public makerspaces. It outlines three main goals: 1) inspiring young people about making, 2) bringing making back into communities, and 3) supporting emerging maker businesses. It provides examples of how Makerversity achieves these goals by supplying professional makers with workspace and tools, and supporting community learning. Public makerspaces are important because they serve as cultural centers for innovation, social consciousness, and startup growth. Best practices from Makerversity and LACI have resulted in significant economic and job impacts.

1. STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR PUBLIC
MAKERSPACE
Jeff Joyner, Leadership Counsel & Board Member
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator & Cleantech LA
http://laincubator.org/
Tom Tobia, Co-Founder
Makerversity
http://makerversity.org/S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E

2. MAKERVERSITY EXPERIENCE
S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E

3. PUBLIC ACCESS FOR MAKERS
S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E

4. PUBLIC MAKERSPACE GOALS
1. Inspiring young people about making!
• Young people need to learn through curiosity, experimentation, invention, resilience, precision.
• Traditional education often provides few insights into learning and career paths in making.
• Counteract this and inspire the next generation of creative and practical minds.
2. Bringing making back into the heart of communities and cultures!
• Manufacturing has moved from the city cultural center to the periphery of the urban
environment.
• With the birth of digital manufacturing, we can bring making back into the heart of a community.
• Revive relationship between producer, consumer, community and production within cities.
3. Supporting the best emerging maker businesses!
• Supporting emerging practice within design and digital manufacturing.
• Starting out prohibitively expensive - costs of machinery , ‘messy’ making space, desk space.
• We provide access to all of these things to enable the most exciting start-up businesses to
flourish.
S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E

5. PUBLIC MAKERSPACE ACTION ITEMS
1. MAKERVERSITY supplies professional makers, product designers and
hardware startups!
 space, cutting-edge tools and kit, networks and events.
 co-working area, studio spaces, digital workshop, traditional workshop,
assembly space, photo studio, sound studio, 3d print lab and event space.
 two workshop technicians that provide technical advice and support.
2. MAKERVERSITY supports community learning and access to
makerspace!
 Members must make things , i.e. physical, digital, musical or even edible.
 Member businesses must give their time to support and inspire young people
through work experience or creating and delivering learning content.
S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E

6. WHY PUBLIC MAKERSPACE MATTERS
1. Public Purpose & Cultural Center
 In an increasingly digital world, tangible objects and experience provide
powerful opportunities for public engagement.
 Manufacturing and new technologies transcend professional boundaries and
become relevant to everyone in the community.
2. Innovation and Social Consciousness
 Makers experiment, invent, play and collaborate – Innovation.
 Makers care about what they put into the world. Their knowledge of
materials, manufacturing processes and supply chains forces them to very
consciously consider questions of sustainability and longevity.
3. Start up Growth
 Makers will be at the heart of the next generation of start ups.
 Opportunities for business offered by connected devices and the Internet of
Things.
4. Grants and Incentives
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7. BEST PRACTICES & IMPACT
1. MAKERVERSITY
• 900 young people involved in Makerversity learning and employment programs
• 40,000+ members of the public engaged in person this year
• £5 million per year economic output
• + £5.5 million investment in member businesses
• 72 jobs created this year
• 45% average member revenue increase in year one
2. LACI
• Recognized as a Top 10 Global Incubator
• 40+ companies prior to new campus
• $55+ million
• Created 700+ jobs
• New 60,000 square foot Innovation Campus for 100+ companies
• Public event space + prototyping labs, collaborative workspace, offices, R&D,
conference rooms, a workforce-training center, etc.
S E V E N A R R O W S + P R I V A T E - P U B L I C M A K E R S P A C E