Despite their many virtues, fab labs, living labs, third places, and innovation labs in general have not always lived up to their promise. In this field, the most difficult thing is often to maintain the project in a sustainable way. What is the difference between a lab that succeeds in the medium term and one that fails?
They are popping up everywhere: in universities, government offices, hospitals, and businesses. Equipped with 3D printers, covered in colorful Post-it notes, and offering an appealing promise: to reinvent the world through collaborative innovation. Whether they are called fab labs, makerspaces, productive third places, or living labs, they all share the same spirit of openness. Today, there are nearly 1,900 fab labs worldwide (fablabs.io), more than 480 certified living labs in 45 countries (ENoLL), and, in France alone, more than 4,100 third places spread across the country (according to France Tiers-Lieux).