BLOQS is leading the evolution in the maker-economy, providing workspace, education, and access to a huge range of high-end professional machines and equipment for the makers of today and tomorrow, giving tech the human touch. As much a community space as a physical place, BLOQS reflects the ethos at the centre of maker culture, where the intersection of open-access hardware and knowledge, sharing equity abounds.
With pay-as-you-go access, entrepreneurs can utilise this state-of-the-art equipment as and when they need it, eliminating the burden of fixed and high overhead costs, reflecting the increasing trend of the sustainable ‘sharing economy’, which is expected to be worth £140 billion by 2025*. It also reflects the growing public desire for bespoke items, or products manufactured with a lower carbon footprint. Overall, eight out of ten consumers say that they would pay more for this.
The site in London’s Lea Valley is the first BLOQS, but the goal is for this to be a new kind of productive local economy that could be readily replicated across the country and beyond.
With pay-as-you-go access, entrepreneurs can utilise this state-of-the-art equipment as and when they need it, eliminating the burden of fixed and high overhead costs, reflecting the increasing trend of the sustainable ‘sharing economy’, which is expected to be worth £140 billion by 2025*. It also reflects the growing public desire for bespoke items, or products manufactured with a lower carbon footprint. Overall, eight out of ten consumers say that they would pay more for this.
The site in London’s Lea Valley is the first BLOQS, but the goal is for this to be a new kind of productive local economy that could be readily replicated across the country and beyond.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 An open access factory is a place that we've designed which shares resources and in terms
00:08 of a factory it shares resources that are needed for people who make things.
00:12 So we provide access to cutting edge machinery.
00:16 It's giving everybody access to the tools that are usually hidden behind big factory
00:21 walls.
00:22 And we do this to sustain new businesses, to sustain ongoing businesses, to sustain
00:28 freelancers who sometimes are working on site, off site.
00:32 With backing from the Mayor of London and sitting on an advisory board for Make UK,
00:37 this award winning site in London offers a new route to manufacturing.
00:42 The award winning site houses light industrial equipment, catering for a range of professional
00:48 makers.
00:49 The fact that we have now over 700 individuals and firms who are actively using blocks and
00:58 that's makers and manufacturers of all kinds.
01:02 We're growing every year now by about 40% plus every year.
01:07 So this has been a real amazing journey because our community is growing absolutely every
01:15 year.
01:16 Our community is putting about £15 million into the local economy every year as well.
01:22 So I think those are some indicators as to how successful the community and how successful
01:28 the business is.
01:29 Well we've seen the pay as you go model in office space with companies such as WeWork.
01:35 However setting up an industrial business is normally at a much higher level of difficulty.
01:41 In this site behind me over £1.3 million worth of equipment is offered on a pay as
01:47 you go basis.
01:49 It's allowed companies based here access to machinery normally beyond their budgets.
01:55 We do join WeWork, like traditional bars for pubs, we do shop fronts.
02:02 I've been with blocks for a while now, it's the flexibility.
02:05 I mean I don't have to pay rent when I'm not working, I don't have to, I don't have overheads.
02:12 The environment is lovely, everyone is friendly, I can access all the machinery that I need.
02:19 A collaborative community has emerged at the site which also offers training opportunities
02:24 to those who work there.
02:26 It's a model that's allowed small businesses to grow faster.
02:30 Its founders believe the model could also benefit parts of the UK that are in need of
02:35 regeneration.
02:37 We've seen a lot of people who've made significant differences to their lives using this facility.
02:42 We'd really like to expand.
02:44 It's a means by which we can innovate and have an impact on how it is that we look at
02:49 the industrial revolution which is going on around us at the moment.
02:52 It's going to be useful in cities right across the UK so we are actively looking right across
02:57 the country for anyone and to work with anyone who would like one of these facilities set
03:03 up in their community.