By The Numbers: The Rise Of The Makerspace @ Popular Science.

Over the past decade, makerspaces have exploded in popularity all over the globe—user-reported numbers show nearly 1,400 active spaces, 14 times as many as in 2006. Also called hackerspaces or innovation labs, these establishments act as communal workshops where makers can share ideas and tools. They can pop up anywhere, including in schools, libraries, and community centers. Different locations offer different resources, ranging from 3D printers to synthetic biology kits.

Roughly half of American adults call themselves makers. “There’s an increased awareness of how broad making can be and how inclusive it can be,” says Steve Davee, director of education at the nonprofit Maker Ed. “But really, makerspaces in other forms have existed for a huge amount of time: We just called them woodshops, home-ec centers, model shops, and computer labs.”

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The maker business opportunities are just starting, at Adafruit we decided to allow any maker space to be the same as an Adafruit reseller with the same margins and more, many maker/hacker spaces are self-funded with workshops and being the local depot for electronics. Many other businesses have followed. Also check out “Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make “TechShops”?