The 21st century renaissance

Made in USA, from Detroit to the digital universe. The new US industrial titans will rise up from the DIY sector.

In Detroit, America’s crumbling manufacturing capital, Blair Evans is a star. This entrepreneur with a degree from MIT is the creator of two fab labs, digital do-ityourself (DIY) fabrication laboratories where local youths learn to use 3D printers, computercontrolled milling machines and even a water jet cutter. “We’re building people, not just products”, Evans told Business Week, referring to the role that DIY plays in education and job training.

Phoenix, nearly 2,000 miles southwest of Detroit, is home to the headquarters of Local Motors, one of the partner companies behind the firstever 3D-printed, drivable automobile. “We are changing the way people move”, says Local Motors CEO and co-founder John Rogers. “The results (of 3D printing) are astounding. We have reduced the amount of car parts from 25,000 to less than 50, proving that we can take a car from designed to driven in less than six months”.

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