Unlocking the Power of Community: Rethinking Open Hardware Adoption from the Ground Up

This presentation challenges dominant narratives around technology adoption by amplifying the voices of open hardware (OH) communities. Drawing from 28 podcasts filled with grassroots experiences, it offers a academic qualitative investigation into the motivations, struggles, and victories of OH adopters as in both makers and users. Using the UTAUT2 framework, the study uncovers not only familiar drivers like performance and effort expectancies but also two critical, overlooked motivators: educational value and recognition benefits. These findings push beyond traditional models, spotlighting how OH empowers individuals, democratizes innovation, and disrupts centralized control over technology. The session will invite the audience to reflect on how storytelling, community building, and shared learning fuel the adoption of open technologies. The presentation will highlight real-world narratives that clarify the adoption “black box,” offering community-driven strategies to overcome barriers and promote sustainable engagement in open technology ecosystems.