The open science hardware community has identified the lack of recognition of research hardware developers and their work as a main bottleneck towards broader adoption of open hardware. Open.Make II aims to address this issue by promoting the recognition of research hardware as a valuable research output. In this project, we will focus on bridging the gap across disciplines that involve the use of hardware, ranging from biology to arts to machine tools. Our vision is to gradually build an open hardware centre of competence (CoC), integrating and connecting expertise within and beyond BUA. By fostering
the recognition of research hardware as a research output, both nationally and internationally, we aim to create a vibrant and inclusive community. This will effectively enhance inter-disciplinary collaboration and accelerate scientific progress.
Building on the learnings from the Open.Make project, Open.Make II takes a socio-technical approach to cultivate a recognised community of professional open hardware developers and makers in the BUA.