Is Open Source Hardware about Invention or Innovation?

The reason I post this question is because I got thinking about my project and what is hip in the manufacturing world. I was reading this piece in technology review on work that Nicolas Correa has been carrying out and it makes we wonder.

1-Should Open Source Machine’s come from a standardization of designs and components that can be source competitively hence reducing cost and allowing people to get exactly what they need?

2-Or should it stem from bringing to users new technologies that traditional manufactures are not bringing to the market or are simply too expensive?

In the first point we are looking at more innovation than invention. If this is the case we should focused our efforts at getting creative with what we already have. We are not inventing anything fundamentally new but playing with the configuration, the assembly interfaces, machine architectures, sourcing. In the second case, we are about bringing new inventions, new designs for spindles, and new construction materials to the machine design and shop floor. It comes to mind the use of all ceramic and composite constructions coupled with active viscous shear damping and hydrostatic linear and spindle bearings for smooth, high speed, low friction, highly damped movements.

Perhaps it’s a step approach, first we get the Open Source designs with standard components working in ways that have new value to users, and then with this experience under our belt we start introducing new technology. Come to think about this make sense to me know, we got to learn to walk before we can run.

Now what is of value to you? Do you have everything you need in the shop?
What’s missing? Where would you like to innovate, or see innovation happen?