Tangible Culture and Society Studies Network

Hobbyist-driven Innovation

Technical Spillovers and Innovation Behaviors from Hobbyist Tool Improvements to Professional Manufacturers

Principal Investigator: Roland Teo

Image Credit: duh84

Overview

This research project aims to explore the phenomenon of innovation driven by cross-domain tool modification and new tool invention within hobbyist communities. We are particularly interested in how hobbyists (e.g., model enthusiasts) from non-traditional backgrounds utilize and adapt tools from other professional domains, and how these practices lead to the development of new tools, and subsequently, how these tools generate commercial value and even influence or feed back into professional manufacturers in their original fields.

This study will examine the innovation behaviors of hobbyist inventors, including their motivations, innovation patterns, and the knowledge ecosystems they inhabit. It will analyze how these behaviors may generate technical spillovers, consequently influencing professional manufacturers.

This research integrates insights from several innovation theories to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the significance of informal innovation in fostering cross-sectoral technology diffusion:

  • User Innovation Theory: Drawing upon Von Hippel (1986, 2005), this theory explores the central role of users in the innovation process.
  • Open Innovation Theory: Adopting Chesbrough’s (2003) framework, it analyzes how knowledge and technology flow beyond organizational boundaries.
  • Grassroots Innovation Theory: Referencing Smith et al.’s (2017) perspective, it examines the role of informal innovation in technological diffusion.

This research will employ Autoethnography as its core methodological approach. I will immerse myself within this innovation ecosystem through the following practices and reflections:

  • Observation and Analysis: Investigating the emergence, evolution, and market circulation patterns of various model tools invented and modified by hobbyists.
  • Practice and Participation: Actively engaging in the sale of these hobbyist-invented model tools. This process will serve as a means for the researcher to enter the “field,” understanding its operational logic and value flows.
  • Innovation and Creation: As a researcher, I will simultaneously engage in the invention and iteration of new tools. This “insider” perspective will provide unique insights, difficult to obtain through traditional observation or interviews, to explore the intrinsic mechanisms of innovation inspiration, design decisions, and tool evolution.

Through this “research-by-doing” approach, this study aims to explore and understand:

  • How non-professional innovation transcends traditional boundaries, driving the evolution of tools and technologies.
  • The pathways and mechanisms through which cross-domain knowledge and tools flow between different communities.
  • The interaction and mutual influence between hobbyist culture, grassroots innovation, and formal industries.
  • The agency of individuals and their social value within this innovation network.

This research intends to offer new perspectives and cases for understanding bottom-up innovation models in contemporary society, the dynamic evolution of tangible cultural goods ecosystems, and the possibilities of knowledge sharing and transfer among different groups.

Project Status:

This research project is currently underway. The present phase focuses on selling model tools invented by hobbyists, while simultaneously developing and prototyping new tools, continuously accumulating first-hand practical experience and observational data.