OSCE, what does it mean?

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#1

Hello everyone!

I’m familiar with the term open source, and I’m familiar with the concept of circular economy, but I find that together, OSCE is not clearly defined. When I explain this idea to other people I start with the concept of circular economy, I say that a circular economy could be erected in a corporate way, but if we are going to establish a new economic order, why not establish something that is more transparent, democratic, of the consumer/producer together => open source. So, to me, at the moment, it is a philosophy, an approach, and very abstract.

But perhaps I’m behind the times? I’m curious what type of thinking has already happened for this concept. Perhaps some of you have already added more detail to make it less a feeling and more concrete?

Thanks!
Claudine

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#2

Hi @mingness . Thanks for the question.

What is OSCE? Yes! OSCE is first of all a theoretical or even philosophical question. It invites to combine two fuzzy – meaning not very well defined by reality – concepts (outside of Software this is true for Open Source too). This results into a fuzzy or very broad world of thinking. And this means many answers can be given to the question.

(1)
And this is one of the answers already: OSCE is about finding answers what OSCE is.

(2)
But here is another one. We want to combine CE with OS? What is …

####CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

When we are talking about a Circular Economy - a waste free world of non-toxic products and services we are asking for new technologies and solutions. A variety of fitting technologies are already insight. Some are just interesting ideas.

Today I was at a good exhibition. There were works shown at the edge between art/concept and real engineering. Here are four works shown there:

  • musical instruments with plants in them that can filter and neutralize toxic waste - creating valuable materials.
  • A software to scan scrap parts from construction sides that will create a model for a new house or structure exactly with the scrap parts that are available. You don’t have to recycle. You can reuse.
  • Bricks that aren’t burned in an energy consuming oven but harden by bacterias.
  • The free universal construction kit was also shown there. http://fffff.at/free-universal-construction-kit/

So solutions or ideas interesting to explore for a Circular Economy.

Those technologies need to be better developed and spread across the globe and industries. And the question is: Could Open Source not be the perfect way for that:

####OPEN SOURCE

Open Source is a collaboration and development model based on transparency. It is about ecosystems. And about synergies, enabling creativity and make faster innovation.

All of this is needed for the CE.

In order to make our now linear economy circular we also have to change the collaboration techniques we use. How to get out of the silos and make connections between them. Often people start to talk about transparency. More transparency is needed. And Open Source is a way to go with transparency.

If we develop solutions like the ones mentioned above the Open Source way - will they also change their nature. Will they be solutions that work in open ecosystems - and therefor really supporting CE?

So this is the question of the OSCEdays and its call to action: Let’s develop some cool circular solutions and let’s do it the Open Source way.

And by that we might actually invent a working CE and sustainable economy.

#3

Hello there, I think that there are many things mixed in the term. But I think is good to attempt to define it, from different views and understand what it means. If we do so we are able to criticize and expand the concept.

We could define operationally (to carry out our action in a comprehensible way for people) what open source and circular economy is:

1st thing I would do is to refer to the Open Source Economy and the Circular Economy refering explicitly at the economic side of Open Source, to clean some mixed notions like open source movement.

some dumb perhaps linear definitions to start:
OS: is a set of processes and products that are fully open for use. Such processes and products are concieved to facilitate the reuse of all the value put in them as know-how (this is the value retention principle that CE advocates often refer to). For example Arduino is an open set of products whith their full DNA described so that any one that can reproduce it may do so, but it also allows the use of such product openly. Arduino is an Open Source technology platform. We can go further and explain also what open means in terms of modularity…like Python…

CE: is an ideal state of wealth/utility creation, where human needs are satisfied keeping a balance with natures capacity to absorb artificial outputs, i.e. to recover/regenerate. The most important and easy to grasp concept is the technocycle in CE. Basically it refers to the maintenance and retention of value by allowing goods to live as long as possible, and bond products end of life with reverse cycles (reuse/refurbish/remanufacture/upgrade/etc.) This has to happen in parallel with a decrease of industrial output, it doesn’t make sense to do this, while still the car industry produces every year millions of cars. The biocycle is missing here, but we can work it out further…

As you can see both Open Source and Circular Economy share common aspects related to value retention. This notion can be improved or developed further,

Hope this helps a little