4. Who manages and uses fab labs?

The fab lab is not just a place equipped with machines, it is above all a community of practice, a group that shares the same values and interests. As we said earlier, the fab lab is based on the open source philosophy, and its members share common values and interests. This community is the main user, and animator, of the fab lab, so it's possible to conclude that it must possess a series of characteristics that are :

• the use of a "common language";

• shared knowledge ;

• a common purpose or shared vision that goes beyond simple intervention;

• dynamism ;

• openness and evolution.