Abstract
We outline the concept of an open technology platform which builds upon a publicly accessible library of fluidic designs, manufacturing processes and experimental characterisation, as well as virtualisation by a ‘digital twin” based on modelling, simulation and cloud computing. Backed by the rapidly emerging Web3 technology “Blockchain”, we significantly extend traditional approaches to effectively incentivise broader participation by an interdisciplinary ‘value network’ of diverse players. Ranging from skilled individuals (the ‘citizen scientist’, the ‘garage entrepreneur’) and more established research institutions to companies with their infrastructures, equipment and services, the novel platform approach enables all stakeholders to jointly contribute to value creation along more decentralised supply chain designs including research and technology development (RTD). Blockchain-enabled “Wisdom of the Crowds” and “Skin in the game” mechanisms secure “trust” and transparency between participants. Prediction markets are created for guiding decision making, planning and allocation of funding; competitive parallelisation of work and its validation from independent participants substantially enhances quality, credibility and speed of project outcomes in the real world along the entire path from RTD, fabrication and testing to eventual commercialisation. This novel, Blockchain-backed open platform concept can be led by a corporation, academic entity, a loosely organised group, or even “chieflessly” within a smart-contract encoded Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO). The proposed strategy is particularly attractive for highly interdisciplinary fields like Lab-on-a- Chip systems in the context of manifold applications in the Life Sciences. As an exemplar, we outline the centrifugal microfluidic “Lab-on-a-Disc” technology. Rather than engaging in all sub-disciplines themselves, many smaller, highly innovative actors can focus on strengthening the product component distinguishing their unique selling point (USP), e.g., a particular bioassay, detection scheme or application scenario. In this effort, system integrators access underlying commons like fluidic design, manufacture, instrumentation and software from a more resilient and diversified supply chain, e.g., based on a verified pool of community-endorsed or certified providers.
Highlights
It is widely recognized that manufacturing “value chains,” including initial design, testing, and optimization stages, to production ramp-up and in-use activities are critical in transforming new technologies and ideas into marketable products
The strategy is suited for accelerating and de-risking commercialization of highly interdisciplinary applications by smaller players requiring early investment and fast innovation for rapid market entry. In addition to their implementation by companies or research organizations, such research and technology development (RTD) projects may be managed in the form of a DAO that is entirely run by a crowd of stakeholders through blockchain-enabled tools for governance and arbitration
Summary
It is widely recognized that manufacturing “value chains,” including initial design, testing, and optimization stages, to production ramp-up and in-use activities are critical in transforming new technologies and ideas into marketable products. In such platform-based strategies that have been widely adopted by mature industries like automotive since the latter part of the 1970s (Muffatto, 1999), a wide range of products are derived from a joint, modular architecture so components, processes, and services can be shared internally and/or with suppliers Such streamlined approaches accelerate, de-risk, and reduce costs for research and technology development (RTD), and subsequent manufacture and configurability of new products; related formal or internal standards allow forging comprehensive RTD capabilities and supply chains composed of specialist players as a hallmark of modern, task-sharing economies. Similar to mature industries such as electronics and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), capable supply chains can be built around foundries to significantly accelerate, de-risk, and economize the development of new applications
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