Economies of the Diaspora

We're a long way from Washington. Mostly notes to flesh out later.

Specialisation and Universality

The world has come a long way from the 3D printers of the early 21st Century. Effective and versatile universal factories can construct sophisticated machinery and electronics in packages the size of a large household refrigerator. However economies of scale still give the advantage to mass production, and fabricators are still less efficient in time and energy than a dedicated

Forges of the Gods

Postie fabs are much better obviously. Nobody is sure if they have their own analogues of dedicated machinery.

Automation

Demand for excuses to have factory workers is high, but supply lags.

Raw Materials

Most elements are readily available from space and ground rocks. Fuel is hydrogen and helium except for the most backwards Rim worlds. Dust, drexlers, synthetic elements, advanced technologies and physical artwork are rare. Value of data depends on the nature of the local IP regime. What else?

Information

'Internet freedom' and 'IP law' are separate variables, though they correlate.

Political Economy

Autarky

Autarkic economies have used modern fabrication technology to achieve self-sufficiency and independence on a household or small community level, typically returning full civilisational circle to decentralised, independent living. Such places tend to be regarded as backwards by the galaxy's urban opinion leaders, and they do produce few great works or great intellectuals, but many colonies this way aren't undeveloped, but exactly where they want to be.