Specific value in being open hardware

Open Hardware is very closely related to the overarching idea of doing open science. Quite often open hardware projects focus on cutting costs, while there is also the possibility that they can deliver value beyond their price. I am still forming an opinion about it, but it seems that one of the most important values (which in this context equates to impact) is the ability to reuse and repurpose:

well, yes :)
the ender 3 is open hardware, and the open software is Marlin https://t.co/FzAzEW2x5q

— Vittorio Saggiomo (@V_Saggiomo) October 22, 2021

There may be some value in the oppeness as it increases the number of interaction points between scientists and citizens[@hohlbein2021a]. Although a bit idealistic when thinking about everyday citizens, it is very well possible that there's an increase in interaction between companies and researchers.

In my case, the most valuable aspect of open hardware is being able to learn and build upon tools even if I do not own them, and this same feeling is starting to publicly appear in others[@hohlbein2021a]. I can understand the decisions made and how would they impact my own designs and work. It is, however, a bit abstract, but I do spend time scrawling through projects just to see what they have done.

Moreover, there is more and more evidence that there is a path for an open hardware business model (or probably more than one), from the likes of Arduino or OpenTrons.