[open-development] [ciresearchers] FW: Promoting open business models?

Mon Jan 28 10:02:45 UTC 2013

Dear all,

just a sign of life since we are preparing a "Vienna Open Source Hardware
Summit" in May 2013 in the framework of the Linux Weeks, where we want to
emphasize on the vanguard of Open Business Models. We want to focus not
primarily on software, but on design and products developed and shared
commonly and the role of entrusted businesses and indutries to produce and
distribute.

So far there are only a few of these endavours; take as example-  with
very high development relevance - this one:

http://www.openator.com/   - A UK open Source Hardware distributor

"First you need some soil. Since this is available pretty much everywhere
on this planet – finding raw materials isn’t a problem. Next you need
a CEB (Compressed Earth Brick)  press machine to create the bricks. We
manufacture affordable CEB presses using the latest Open Source
technology. You can either buy one from us, rent our existing presses or
even build one yourself using open source designs.

Then, with the correct soil mixture, you simply load all of the dirt into
the CEB press machines hopper. The earth then slides down the hopper where
it fills up the compression chamber. Once the chamber is full, huge
amounts of pneumatic pressure are applied to the sides of the earth. This
transforms the earth from the common dirt that we find beneath our feet
and into the effective building material that is known as the compressed
earth brick.

The newly formed brick is ejected out of the compression chamber where it
can be collected by a worker ready for construction."

http://www.openator.com/about-earth-blocks/

This is really an exciting example because its related to one of the most
basic human needs.

now you can also look at the other side, the community that really
originates and leads the idea:

http://blog.opensourceecology.org/2013/01/ose-revamping-in-critical-2013/

I admire Marcins dedication and ability to learn without compromising the
central principles.

And I equally admire the people of Openator to bring this to the business
world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_hardware

------------------

Now if you have a good contribution to make at the Vienna Open Source
Hardware Summit, please dont hesitate to contact me!

Mag. Franz Nahrada
Manager, Hotel Karolinenhof
Founder, Global Villages Network / GIVE
Jedleseer Strasse 75
A-1210 Wien
f.nahrada at reflex.at
+43 1 2787801

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