Last Week Blog Post

If you have been keeping up with my blog posts then you know I have tried to incorporate the relevant themes and issues discussed in course lecture and readings. My posts have talked about local start ups, like Project AURA, and have also questioned the validity of the creation of government agencies to spur and fund social innovation. For the last and final blog post I wanted to blog about 3D printing because it really is an example of the future of social innovation and enterprise.

During the first lecture, we were shown examples of innovations that improved over time. One example that comes to mind are the innovations of flight from sketches to space crafts. This directly correlates to the reading for this week, "The Next Frontier For 3-D Printing" (Fast Company), shows that a vision and imagination is needed to impart some impact on innovation.

The story behind 3D printing is starts in 1984 when Charles Hull created the first 3D printer which prints tangible objects from digital data. The impact: companies were able to produce prototypes and discern how to adjust for manufacturing costs.

Fast forward to the present day and London-based 3D printing company, Enabled by Design, uses 3D printing to help improve the lives of disabled people who have been adversely affected by health ailments, accidents, and other events that have impaired them in comparison to the general population.

I was fascinated because this was a whole new population that, in my opinion (save for a few ventures), was overlooked. When discussing social ventures and enterprises, the motives discussed are often those that involve access to quality water, air, education, and health...but it usually does not account for populations that seem to fly under the radar, like the disabled community.

The reason why Enabled by Design works, is that it creates devices that are easily manufactured and are cheaper in comparison to industry rates.

If you were on Enabled by Design's executive team, how do you think they should scale its product to continue to be competitive?

Update: Enabled by Design communicates very well with its customers and followers: https://twitter.com/enabledby



Sources: http://individual.troweprice.com/public/Retail/Planning-&-Research/Connections/3D-Printing/Infographic