“Printing Up” Jobs In Your Nabes: How The 3D-Printing Revolution Can Help Remake Local Economic Development (A Listical)

The New 3DP-Empowerment Toolkit for Community-Based Economic Development Organizations (EDOs): An Idea-Generating Listical for Innovative Mission-Success Building With Disruptive 3DP Technology

Whoever said “A job is the best economic development” got it about right.

Now the 3D-Printing (3DP) Revolution (the Additive-Manufacturing Makeover) promises to help EDOs help constituents grow their present or prospective businesses—and their jobs generating—at the grassroots of our ultra-urban neighborhoods. That’s DIY workforce development bottom-up. Or, Cottage (Walk-Up?) Industry from the desktop 3D Printer on the kitchen table…

Here’s an 11-item, Foster-The-Revolution Listical (a blog post or article built on a list of provocative ingredients or compelling ideas) to inspire your thinking about harnessing 3DP for the betterment of your Nabes.

EDO Exec, you CAN start energizing your community’s Entrepreneurship & Startup-Culture with 3DP orientations, knowledge deliveries, networking events, live demos and tools/systems. Begin with the suggested action items in this Listical—and then get (3DP) creative:

(1)  Link Your EDO Web Site to a 3DP Knowledge Platform (Start right here by using NYC3DP.com: begin the education of your commercial constituents—and the larger citizenry of your Nabes—online via existing 3DP resources.)

(2) Organize 3DP “Pop-Up” Demos in Your Nabes (Autodesk is working on self-contained Mobile 3D-Printing “Shops” and demonstration elements of that initiative would likely make for captivating, temporary, 3DP-familiarity pop-ups.)

(3) Use an Empty Store-Front as a Longterm 3DP Knowledge Center (Pick a 3DP hardware manufacturer: partner with them to create a permanent ‘Hood location to showcase diverse 3DP solutions—make the Center an Experiential Destination for the betterment of your community via Nabes “visitor draw.”)

(4) Foster Maker Places/Spaces in Your ‘Hood (“Makers”—3DP amateurs, artisans & techies—are embracing DIY 3DP. Sponsor a Maker’s “clubhouse” and make sure—as  payment for support—the clubhouse is open, accessible & staffed by knowledgeable and mentoring Makers with social skills and teaching predilections.)

(5) Support 3DP “Cottage Industry” Via Education (Assist your local “kitchen table” entrepreneurs with knowledge sources, Maker mentors and training connections to foster successful startup “wannabes” anywhere the Preneur wants to set up her or his desktop 3D Printer.)

(6) Build a 3DP Incubator in Your Nabes (Pick your local strength—demographic or history or product or industry—and cultivate it with 3DP entrepreneurs supported by your Nabes’ 3DP Incubator: hurry, you could be the first in the City with an EDO-sponsored, 3DP “Inc” full of job-creating “Incubees.”)

(7) Ally With Local Education Institutions Around 3DP Curricula (Then provide local middle & high schools students with real-world connections to 3DP-based commerce—hands-on learning, problem-solving satisfaction, startup experience—via their 3DP support and experimentation with and for your local biz.)

(8) Issue An RFP To Major Players For A Mobile 3DP Demo Lab (Think: “MakerBot Mobile Maker Bus;” then get it funded by a NYC-based foundation; move it about your Nabes {merchant block, schools, churches, etc.} to 3DP-orient ALL. )

(9) Recruit National Retailers That Are Creating 3DP Service Bureaus (UPS Stores just became the first national retail chain to start offering 3DP services in-store; invite—and help—UPS Stores to open a 3DP-outfitted store in your ‘Hood.)

(10) Organize Tours of 3DP Manufacturer Factories For Your Constituents & Your Community Curious (Hey, MakerBot’s NEW factory is in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Shapeways’ NEW factory is in Long Island City, Queens: go see them.)

(11) Make Sure 3DP “Creative Destruction” Actually Creates New And Successful Workforce Models (Get government, academe, non-profits, producers, Makers and biz owners to roundtables to hash-out what REALLY works—to create tech-based, Middle-Class-supporting, new 3DP-based jobs—in your Nabes…)

AND C’mon Back for more…

LAND

 

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