Fab25 Czechia – Bridge the Gap

This review addresses a critical gap in academic research by systematically assessing the quantified societal impacts of Fab Labs. Recognizing the need for rigorous evidence to inform policy, funding, and strategic planning, it focuses on studies employing robust quantitative methodologies. Using the Fab City Full Stack as a framework, the review categorizes findings across seven interconnected layers, from local production technologies to global knowledge sharing. It evaluates measurable eco...

The term Urban Manufacturing (UM) is used to refer to the production of goods within urban areas using locally sourced materials, with the resulting products being released in the same location. Factories that adhere to these principles are known as Urban factories. Within the project LAUDS Factories – a research initiative focused on establishing guidelines for scaling up production in urban areas that embody the principles of Local, Accessible, Urban, Digital and Sustainable manufactu...

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU aims to become fully climate-neutral, promoting sustainable innovation through a circular economy. Open-Source Software and Open-Source Hardware play a key role in this transition, enabling repairable, durable, and collaboratively designed products. However, despite their potential to contribute significantly to EU sustainability goals, many open-source developers remain hesitant to publish or commercialize their work due to legal uncertainties and l...

Purpose: This paper investigates the challenges and solutions in developing a co-creation makerspace initiative for children, focused on renewable energy technology. Methodology/data: A comprehensive methodological approach was employed, combining case study analysis, reflection reports, and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 4 trainers and 4 key stakeholders involved in the initiative. Above, the study utilized the analytical framework provided by Mersand (2021). Findings: The stud...

The purpose of this paper is to report on how we integrated a method for manufacturing double curvature surfaces with cold-pressed wooden parts, and how this research and educational experience developed in the form of a pavilion. During the process, we set some goals, reducing costs from previous experiences, with further intricate geometry, configuring an agile assembly and disassembly for the parts, developing an efficient and safe structure, making a visually attractive and apparent simpl...

This speculative paper analyses the theoretical potential for FabLabs to take part in participatory environmental monitoring efforts using open technologies on a large scale and contribute to reporting networks in Europe. It explores where FabLabs could fit into the European environmental monitoring ecosystem, while considering their role as often situated at the crossroads between various stakeholder groups, and presenting potential venues of collaboration between FabLabs and traditional act...

This research investigates the preservation of embodied knowledge and creative agency within digital fabrication processes and contexts. The historical division between conception and execution, intensified by industrialization, has been perpetuated in digital formats that prioritize geometric precision over tacit knowledge. While neo-craftspeople have adapted digital tools to their practices, current representation systems fail to capture the essence of making that characterizes craft proces...

The centralized production of personal hygiene products ensures standardization and effectiveness for various consumer needs. However, these processes heavily rely on petroleum-based components and significant water content, contributing to global environmental challenges such as climate change. Additionally, when distributed as universal solutions, these products often fail to adapt to local habits, resources, and cultural practices. This study employs a Research through Design (RtD) methodo...

Fablabs have had a major impact on the accessibility of electronics fabrication, alongside innovation in the broader maker movement such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi. From designing and milling custom printed circuit boards, to combining electronics and fabrics to make e-textiles, electronics fabrication is no longer restricted to professionally trained electronic engineers or highly skilled hobbyists. There is, however, a category of electronic device that has yet to see widespread uptake the...

This paper explores the intersection of computational couture and traditional Jordanian craftsmanship, emphasizing parametric design and 3D printing as innovative approaches to heritage preservation. Jordanian cross-stitch embroidery, deeply embedded in regional identity, artisanal practices, and socio-cultural narratives, faces increasing threats from globalization and mass-produced fashion. By proposing a digital reinterpretation of these embroidery techniques through advanced computational...

The rationale behind this working paper is reflected in the investigation of knowledge partners and the role of proximities through makerspaces. Hence, these spaces are creating a positive impact on creating a cultural change by encouraging entrepreneurship in the community, support small business growth, and increase workforce retention. Therefore, the focus is on the knowledge partners and the local growth, in the selected Central European countries (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia), where makers...

This paper examines a flexible, fabrication-driven design methodology in Fab Labs, highlighting how digital fabrication tools enable customizable, scalable product development. It explores the benefits, challenges, and implications of this approach in modern manufacturing. Design/Methodology/Approach: A practice-based methodology is used to analyse modular product systems with adjustable connections for applications such as furniture, stage sets, and automotive tuning. The study integrates th...

This study explores the construction of the collective memory of the "La Carmela" Cultural Center in Puebla, Mexico, a space historically stigmatized by violence and abandonment. Through an action-research methodology, the project "Let's desembrujar El Castillo" was developed, which developed literary stories with augmented reality (AR) created by young people from the area, based on the testimonies of five residents over 20 years old in the area. The objective was to activate processes of sy...

This study investigates the integration of modern 3D printing technologies with traditional precision casting methods, specifically exploring the application of mSLA (masked Stereolithography) printing as an alternative to conventional wax model preparation in the lost wax casting process. Two types of UV-curable resins—standard and wax-like casting resin—were comparatively evaluated for dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and casting defects. Models were printed using an Elego...

FAB25 Czechia is the 2025 edition of the FABx event – the flagship gathering for FabLabs, makers, innovators, researchers, educators, and artists. This year, the event is united under the theme “Bridge the Gap.” The Fab 25 research papers stream includes original scholarly writing from researchers studying the Fab Lab movement, its ambitions and its impact from a wide range of disciplines, including computer science, engineering, science and technology studies, business and ...