An aid to innovation in instrument-making: a collaborative approach between workshops and research laboratories

Overview & Synopsis

The economics of French instrument-making is mostly made up of very small handicraft enterprises. But craftsmen do not always have the means to embark, by themselves, on an innovation strategy. The idea is to try to respond to current challenges in instrument making; for example, the reduction in costs of design times or the adaptation to customer needs. All of this necessitates the development of low cost tools for characterising and prototyping of instruments dedicated to their use in workshops. Examples of collaborative approach between instrument makers and research laboratories are presented. Mainly,the Pafi project, for Instrument-making aid platform, is ambitious. It aims to develop characterisation tools more widely for all the instrument families. The projects originality lies in the fact that ten pilot craftsmen are associated with every stage of development. The Pafi project involves a research programme and the support of the craftsmen for developing the hardware and software. Bearing in mind the international economic context, these experiences may act as a basis for broadening and pursuing this initiative on an international scale. The open and progressive nature of the work means that we can consider such a prospect with a view to maintaining the small-scale production of high-quality instruments.