COVID-19 is an unexpected and brutal pandemic that requires new innovation models to overcome the constraints of this crisis and address its multiple challenges. Open innovation does not replace a traditional closed R&D model; but in the current crisis situation, it can support an ecosystem stakeholders’ effort by leveraging several collaborations. Based on the Tunisian experience, this study illustrates how a crisis can spontaneously create these collaborations between the maker’s community, the users (public healthcare professionals) and key stakeholders (universities, civil society and the private sector among others). To investigate this research question, we adopted a qualitative approach based on a single embedded case study and collected data through participant observation technique. The case study describes a process of crisis-driven innovation based on 3D printing technologies in order to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare professionals. It highlights two distinct phases describing the evolution from a local collaborative model to the creation of a national ecosystem able to design, manufacture and address the growing need of the public healthcare system. Our findings show with empirical evidence the crucial roles played by the makers’ community, FabLabs and engineers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws lessons on how a large health crisis can trigger national crisis-driven innovation (CDI) initiatives, which helped structure the makers’ network and promote collaboration towards a common national goal. A collaborative framework for CDI initiated by the Tunisian makers’ community is proposed in this study and could be adopted in similar crisis contexts, in Global South and North settings.

中文翻译：

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创客运动对抗击 COVID-19 大流行的贡献：来自突尼斯 FabLabs 的见解

COVID-19 是一场意想不到的残酷大流行，需要新的创新模式来克服这场危机的限制并应对其多重挑战。开放式创新不会取代传统的封闭式研发模式；但在当前的危机情况下，它可以通过利用多项合作来支持生态系统利益相关者的努力。根据突尼斯的经验，本研究说明了危机如何自发地在制造商社区、用户（公共医疗保健专业人员）和主要利益相关者（大学、民间社会和私营部门等）之间建立这些合作。为了调查这个研究问题，我们采用了基于单个嵌入式案例研究的定性方法，并通过参与观察技术收集数据。该案例研究描述了基于 3D 打印技术的危机驱动创新过程，以便为医疗保健专业人员提供个人防护设备 (PPE)。它强调了两个不同的阶段，描述了从本地协作模式到创建能够设计、制造和解决公共医疗保健系统日益增长的需求的国家生态系统的演变。我们的研究结果以经验证据表明制造商社区、FabLabs 和工程师在抗击 COVID-19 大流行中发挥的关键作用。本研究吸取了有关大型健康危机如何引发国家危机驱动创新 (CDI) 倡议的经验教训，这有助于构建制造商网络并促进合作以实现共同的国家目标。