Unfolding innovation lab services in public hospitals: a hospital FabLab case study

Along with the first pandemic wave of COVID-19, many makers' initiatives shed light on the innovative potential of developing computer assisted machinery services for the health sector. Even since before that, collaborative innovation structures such as FabLabs have been arising in public health institutions, which indicates the increasing demand for technological tools as well as innovation assistance in the public health sector. However, how FabLabs facilitate innovation processes contingent on hospital context is a question that needs to be further explored. In this article, a single case study on the Hephaïstos FabLab at the Bicêtre Hospital in France is developed in order to understand the role that a FabLab service can play in fostering innovation in a hospital ecosystem. The results show how innovation is stimulated by the FabLab proximity, the methodological approach developed by the FabLab team and the participants' profiles. These insights are pertinent for hospital managers to help identify strategies and ensure continuity of a FabLab service.