Cosmolocal Networks represent a transformative approach to production and innovation that combines the global sharing of knowledge with localized manufacturing — often summarized as "Design Global, Manufacture Local" (DGML). This paradigm leverages digital commons, open-source designs, and distributed fabrication infrastructure to create resilient, sustainable economic systems that reduce dependence on extractive global supply chains while fostering local autonomy and cultural diversity.
The intellectual foundations of cosmolocalism emerge from the convergence of open-source software principles, commons-based peer production, and the maker movement. Projects like RepRap (open-source 3D printers), WikiHouse (modular housing blueprints), Precious Plastic (recycling machines), L'Atelier Paysan (agricultural tools), and Open Bionics (prosthetic devices) exemplify how globally shared designs can be manufactured locally using fabrication labs and makerspaces. The FabLab network, initiated by MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms in 2002, has grown to thousands of locations worldwide — from Bolivia to Bhutan — providing communities with the infrastructure to participate in this new productive model.
Cosmolocalism offers a structural framework for reorganizing production by prioritizing socio-ecological wellbeing over corporate profits and overconsumption. Unlike capitalist globalization, it relies on values of reciprocity and self-organization that support local economies while contributing to global common benefit. The COSMOLOCALISM research project (2019-2024), coordinated by Vasilis Kostakis at TalTech, has advanced understanding of how commons-based approaches can create sustainable economies through what researchers call "convivial technology development."