Fab25 – Bridge the Gap
Ahoj Fab25 and díky for everything! We took part in the Fab conference again this year and gained lots of new experiences. In case you hadn't heard, Fab25 took place in the Czech Republic this year. More specifically, in Brno and Prague.
Fab25 kicked off in Brno in beautiful weather for the first five days before it got cooler. Many workshops were offered in Brno, such as Japanese Wood Print x Lasercutter, Open Footwear, and Designing the Reuse Economy. The graduation ceremony for all graduates of this year's FabAcademy was also held here. Three of our colleagues received their certificates that evening. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them once again!
Tuesday was a real highlight. The organizers arranged for a train from Brno to Prague—the Maker Train—which took all Fab25 participants onward to their next destination. That's how a networking conference becomes a really cool event!
New workshops followed one after another in Prague, and that's where we made our appearance. We offered two workshops on our BMFTR-funded project “Quantum Minilabs.” One of our project partners also offered a workshop, which meant we were represented in three areas at the same time. On Wednesday, Fab25 was all about quantum research, so we helped prepare for the day, hired speakers, and prepared workshops. Both workshops from the FabLab, one an introduction to Quantum Minilabs and the other a DIY workshop for ultrasonic levitation, were exceptionally well attended. We are very pleased with the interest shown, which demonstrates that our work in quantum technologies is important and that lots of people want to learn about it.
A small highlight in Prague was the factory tour of the Prusa facility. Since we own a few Prusa 3D printer ourselves, it was great to see where everything is manufactured. Did you know that Prusa has five alpacas in their yard? We didn't either, so we were all the more surprised when the tour ended with the animals. What a cool day!
In addition to the workshops, there was always plenty of networking on the agenda, because contacts with other FabLabs and makerspaces are very valuable to us and regularly open new doors. We also gave a few interviews, which you will surely be able to find on YouTube soon. Of course, there were also opportunities to explore the cities, which we took advantage of. And we can say: it's worth it! If you have the chance, be sure to check out Brno and Prague. At the end of the conference, there was a farewell party with all the participants. Next year, Fab26 will take place in Boston, USA.
