Fab Labs as launch pad for social entrepreneurs

Recenltly I read How to make (almost) anything, the vision of Professor Neil Gershenfeld about the future of devices that manipulate atoms and molecules in the same way as the PC manipulates bits and bytes. What struck me most was his Fab labs and the tremendous potential they can have, specially for the developed economies where new inventions and innovations are desperately needed to avoid cost based competition with developing countries. I also see them as a great launching pad for social entreprenuers apart from their utilities in schools and universities.