The Art Directors Club Europe (ADC Europe) is a creative network and professional association that brings together designers, art directors, and creative professionals across Europe. The organization focuses on promoting excellence in design, advertising, and communication. In relation to makerspaces, ADC Europe encourages creativity and collaboration through its various awards, events, and educational initiatives. They support makers and designers by offering opportunities to showcase their work, share knowledge, and connect with a broader community of creatives. ADC Europe fosters a culture of innovation and creativity, which aligns with the goals of makerspaces in nurturing new ideas and supporting the design community.

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that provides a range of microcontrollers and development tools for creators, engineers, and designers. Known for its simplicity and flexibility, Arduino enables makers to build interactive objects and prototypes by integrating sensors, motors, and other components. In relation to makerspaces, Arduino fosters creativity by offering affordable, user-friendly electronics that empower users to develop their own innovations in fields such as robotics, IoT, and automation.

Ars Longa (FR) is a structure of production, diffusion, mediation of experimental’s forms at crossroads of Art, Research and Society, both in public and private spaces. It favours innovative approaches and focuses on the educational or civic appropriation of projects. City is our playground. We explore and study the movements that make and transform the metabolism of the city. Regulators, operators or citizens, we accompany with them experiments that allow us to think by doing. To manufacture in town, to manufacture the city.

Center Rog is a creative hub where creatives are supported by skilled mentors to make anything they can think of. With nine production labs at disposal, the hub brings together both traditional hand tools and latest technologies available in makers practices.

The Centre for the Creation of Advanced Manufacturing, called Consorci Comerç Artesania i Moda in Catalan, is a research and development center in Catalonia, Spain, focused on advancing manufacturing technologies and promoting innovation in the industrial sector. It provides support to businesses and creators by offering access to cutting-edge tools and expertise in areas like digital fabrication, automation, and robotics. In relation to makerspaces, CCAM helps foster collaboration between industry and the maker community, offering resources for prototyping and small-scale production. Their work empowers makers and startups to explore advanced manufacturing techniques, contributing to the growth and innovation within the broader makerspace ecosystem.

Craftbot designs and manufactures 3D printers for both professionals and makers. Their range of 3D printers is focused on providing high-quality, reliable, and user-friendly machines for prototyping and creative projects. Craftbot contributes to makerspaces by providing accessible and robust 3D printing tools that support a wide variety of applications from education to industrial use.

Danish Design Center (DDC) (DK), as Denmark’s national design center, it is DDC’s mission to promote the use of design in business and industry, to help professionalise the design industry and to document, promote and brand Danish design in Denmark and abroad. In other words, the DDC aims to ensure the best possible meeting between the supply and demand sides in the design field. The DDC’s key approach in this encounter is systematic experimentation with design-based value creation in companies.

As Denmark’s national design centre, it is the DDC’s mission to promote the use of design in business and industry, to help professionalise the design industry and to document, promote and brand Danish design in Denmark and abroad. In other words, the DDC aims to ensure the best possible meeting between the supply and demand sides in the design field. The DDC’s key approach in this encounter is systematic experimentation with design-based value creation in companies.

Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB) is a cultural and innovation hub dedicated to design, architecture, and creativity. It brings together exhibitions, educational programs, and resources to foster innovation and collaboration within the design community. In relation to makerspaces, DHUB serves as a center for creativity, providing spaces for prototyping, design workshops, and digital fabrication. DHUB supports makers and designers by offering access to cutting-edge tools and facilities, encouraging collaboration, and promoting the use of design thinking and innovative technologies in makerspaces.

Espacio Open (ES), a private non profit cultural association,  is a creative and social projects accelerator based in Bilbao. Its objectives are to influence the local social and economic scene in the city by boosting emerging cultural trends through the design and implementation of innovation-based projects, mixing art, design, technology and social issues, with both local and global perspective. The organisation manages 1.000 square meters of installations and 15 workers. The project moved in 2011 to the Bilbao Old Cookie Factory, in the Zorrozaurre island. As a Fab Lab/ Makerspace, Espacio Open organizes the  Maker Faire Bilbao since 2013, one of Europe’s oldest maker movement gatherings,  launches annual calls for artistic residencies and is a partner in several European projects linked to urban innovation, among other activities.

The European Crafts Alliance (ECA), formerly known as WCCE (World Crafts Council Europe), is an organization that represents and supports the craft sector across Europe. ECA promotes traditional and contemporary crafts, aiming to enhance the role of artisans and craft organizations within the cultural and economic landscape. In relation to makerspaces, ECA works to strengthen the craft community by advocating for the integration of digital fabrication and traditional craft techniques. It fosters collaboration, innovation, and knowledge-sharing within makerspaces, helping craft professionals access resources and opportunities for creative development and sustainable practices.

The Fab City Foundation champions the Fab City Global Initiative through pioneering projects in social innovation, urban research, and educational programs. Our Foundation fosters a network of forward-thinking cities, organizes the annual Fab City Summit with local partners, and leads strategic research on transformative urban models such as the Fab City Full Stack and the PITO to DIDO transition. The Master in Design for Distributed Innovation (MDDI) is a distributed learning program focused on the intersection of design, technology, ecosystems, and communities to improve interspecies wellbeing. It connects a global community of changemakers with local innovators to address complex challenges. The Fab City Challenges are a unique collaboration format that brings together regional and international innovation communities to propose meaningful outcomes that respond to urgent areas of intervention in cities and regions as drivers of change. The Full Stack Bootcamp is a comprehensive learning experience designed to empower Fab City participants with a deep understanding of the seven layers of the Fab City Full Stack (infrastructure, learning, innovation, communities, territories, bioregions, and planet). The annual Fab City Awards celebrate the world’s most innovative urban and rural solutions. In addition, Fab City Foundation participates in EU-funded projects and intergovernmental and other public/privately funded projects for research, technological implementation, community engagement, and methodological innovation. For participating in any of these initiatives, or for partnerships and collaborations, please reach out to [email protected].

The Fab Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the global network of Fab Labs (fabrication laboratories), which provide access to digital fabrication tools and resources. These labs enable individuals to create prototypes, develop products, and engage in hands-on learning in areas like electronics, robotics, and design. The Fab Foundation promotes education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, helping communities harness the potential of digital fabrication and empowering makers to bring their ideas to life.

As the first Fab Lab founded in Europe back in 2007, Fab Lab Barcelona is a leading hub for creativity, collaboration, and education, situated at the forefront of the global Fab Lab Network. As part of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), it serves as a multidisciplinary space where technology, design, and sustainability converge to shape a fairer, regenerative and inclusive futures. With expertise spanning from digital fabrication, to circular economy, and distributed design, Fab Lab Barcelona empowers individuals, organisations and communities to develop solutions that address local and global challenges. From prototyping groundbreaking ideas to fostering educational programmes, it is a dynamic space where makers, designers, and researchers turn visions into reality, through testing, prototyping and making.

FabLab Budapest (HU) is a ten years old open innovation centre, one of the first FabLab in Central-East Europe and until now the only member of the FabLab network in Hungary. We are located in the downtown of Budapest offering our services, access to our workshop, tools and knowledge for students, entrepreneurs and companies. We believe in bottom-up innovation and help others to create their first prototype. Our goal is the democratisation of digital manufacturing technologies to provide access to personal and collaborative invention and innovation using digital technologies. We have a strong cooperation with the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. In this cooperation we try to foster students of traditional craftsmanship to enter into the 21th Century with digital manufacturing technologies and start their own design brand. We provide a comprehensive education program on design thinking, digital manufacturing and DIY biology.

Fablabs.io is a global network and online platform that connects makerspaces, fab labs, and DIY communities. It helps individuals and organizations find local maker spaces and access digital fabrication tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. By providing a map and resources for these community-driven spaces, Fablabs.io plays a key role in supporting makers and creators in accessing the tools and networks they need to bring their ideas to life.

Fido is an organization focused on fostering innovation and sustainability through design and technology. They work on projects that combine digital fabrication, material science, and creative thinking to develop new solutions for industries such as fashion, product design, and sustainability. In relation to makerspaces, Fido provides resources, knowledge, and tools to support creators in developing prototypes and sustainable products. By integrating technology and eco-friendly design practices, Fido encourages collaboration within makerspaces, helping to drive forward creative, environmentally-conscious projects.

Global Innovation Gathering (DE) is a vibrant, diverse community of innovation hubs, makerspaces, hackerspaces and other grassroots innovation community spaces alongside individual innovators, makers, technologists and changemakers. GIG is pursuing a new vision for global cooperation based on equality, openness and sharing. We aim to enable more diversity in the production of technology and global innovation processes and support open and sustainable solutions developed by grassroots innovators.With solid roots in the global south, we share, collaborate and work together. GIG provides a platform for meaningful exchange by fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration between its members. GIG contributes to creating and using open, inclusive and sustainable technologies and meaningful connections between innovators, positively impacting the policies and frameworks for grassroots innovation. We support research in innovation and development, digital rights and technology ecosystem questions carried out by local experts and international teams.

Habibi.Works is an intercultural makerspace and FabLab situated in Katsikas, northwest Greece, over the road from Katsikas “hospitality centre” – a camp built to accommodate over 1000 refugees and asylum-seekers during the long periods entailed in awaiting decisions on their asylum applications. Founded in 2016 in a context of increasing precarity for people on the move, Habibi.Works is designed as a platform for education, empowerment, and community.

Individuals of all backgrounds can make use of Habibi.Works’ 13 working areas, benefiting from free access to tools, machines and guidance from team members experienced in each area. These areas include: metal, wood and bicycle repair workshops; a plastic upcycling lab; a MediaLab fitted with a 3D printer, lasercutter and computer lab; a garden feeding a community kitchen (where community meals are prepared on a daily basis); a ‘storytellers lab’ (including a recording studio fitted into a geodesic dome); a sewing atelier and creative atelier; a language learning hub (housed in our multilingual lending library); and a community-led gym/sports programme.

Since 2010, Happylab is Austria’s first Fab Lab. Learning from each other is an important point in the Happylab community. In addition to the physical meeting place provided for joint working and tinkering, a web-based forum and a wiki page also offer the opportunity to exchange experiences. The Happylab is an interdisciplinary entry point for all who have creative and/or technological project ideas. It is embedded within a framework of universities, business incubators, specialised SMEs, industries to provide the lab users with services when their idea grows beyond the scope of the lab.

I.O.Me.254 is an organization focused on using design and technology to preserve heritage and promote sustainability. They offer training and workshops that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques, empowering local communities to create innovative products from locally sourced materials. The organization operates in both Lamu and Mombasa, providing opportunities for makers to learn how to integrate new technologies with traditional practices in areas such as construction, fashion, and product design.

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is a center for research, education, production and outreach, with the mission of envisioning the future habitat of our society and building it in the present. IAAC follows the digital revolution at all scales (from bits to geography, from micro-controllers to cities, from materials to the territory) to expand the boundaries of architecture and design and meet the challenges faced by humanity. IAAC hosts Fab Lab Barcelona, the first and most advanced digital production laboratory in EU.

JetClay is an open source Platform that explores the world of 3d printing and ceramics, relating the digital and the analog, tradition and technology, makers and ceramists. They develop their own tools to make unique pieces of ceramics at the crossroads among industrial design, architecture, interior design and sculpture.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that helps creators raise funds to bring their projects to life. Makerspaces like Fab Lab Barcelona, which focus on digital fabrication and innovation, provide the tools and resources needed to develop prototypes. Kickstarter enables these creators to connect with backers and turn their ideas into reality.

Kniterate offers a digital knitting machine designed to simplify and democratize garment production. Its technology enables designers and makers to create knitwear in a highly customizable and efficient way. By providing an affordable, easy-to-use knitting machine, Kniterate contributes to makerspaces by empowering users to design and produce their own textiles and fashion prototypes.

Knowledge Center of Vestmannaeyjar (IS) in Iceland fosters innovation and economic diversity by actively supporting entrepreneurs and businesses. It operates Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar, a digital workshop open to various groups. As a founding partner of 14 other Fab Labs in Iceland, it offers guidance for establishing similar spaces and hosts workshops. Through programs, it aids innovation from conception to startup. Associated with projects like Distributed Design and the Vestmannaeyjar Coastal Community, it connects various sectors for ocean awareness and economic development. Additionally, it conducts educational programs for students and offers Fab Academy courses.

mAkE, part of the African Makerspace Alliance, is a network that connects and supports makerspaces across Africa. It fosters collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation within the African maker community, focusing on empowering local creators and entrepreneurs with the tools, training, and resources they need. The Alliance works to establish sustainable and scalable makerspaces across Africa, contributing to the global makerspace ecosystem by promoting local solutions and fostering creativity.

Make Works is an online platform that connects designers and makers with local manufacturers and fabricators. It provides a directory of UK-based workshops, fabricators, and makerspaces offering services like CNC machining, 3D printing, and more. Make Works enables creatives to find the right manufacturing partners and production tools, helping to streamline the prototyping and production process within the makerspace ecosystem.

Maker is a collaborative workshop and knowledge center, dedicated to transforming how ideas take shape. Rooted in design-by-collaboration, we empower professionals to share knowledge, learn new skills, and bring their visions to life. By offering hands-on training with tools and machinery, promoting circular design solutions, nurturing strategic business development, and hosting public events that inspire and connect, we strive to make it more accessible for everyone to shape a better tomorrow.

Learn more about Maker here

Mekanika is a company that specializes in developing high-quality 3D printers and related services for creators and designers. They focus on providing tools that enable makerspaces to offer precision manufacturing and rapid prototyping capabilities. Mekanika supports the maker community by offering accessible, reliable digital fabrication tools that can be used in various creative fields, from product design to engineering, thereby enhancing the capacity of makerspaces to facilitate innovation and small-scale production.

Metalab (UA) is a City development laboratory that supports a socially equal, spatially comfortable, culturally rich, environmentally responsible, economically balanced city (environment). Our vision is to establish a makerspace in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, serving as a platform that fosters innovation in humanitarian aid, med tech, climate change response and economic development. With a unique technical prototyping platform, we aim to provide a space that is inclusive and empowering, fostering learning, creativity, and entrepreneurship for all. By creating a center for peer learning and knowledge sharing, we aim to facilitate collaboration and cultivate a supportive community. A place where the value of science, technology, and design can be added to Ukrainian products. By nurturing innovations and inventions, we aspire to contribute to the growth and success of Ukrainians.

MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) is a leading design and art university based in Budapest, Hungary, known for its focus on innovation, digital technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches to design education. It plays a key role in the makerspace ecosystem by providing a creative environment where students and professionals can collaborate on design projects, explore emerging technologies, and engage in hands-on learning. Through its programs and research, MOME fosters a culture of innovation and supports makerspaces as hubs for design experimentation and prototyping.

Centre for Creativity, a business development platform for professionals working in the creative and cultural sectors, is run by the national Museum of Architecture and Design. We provide product and service development by promoting cooperation between creatives, enterprises, business sector and both the private and public sector as well as offering financial support, education for the development of entrepreneurial and specialised creative skills, the establishment of a partner network, sector integration, internationalisation and promotion of creative sector’s visibility abroad. The Centre is also a national contact point for The New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative and an EIT Culture & Creativity partner for the development of innovative projects in the CCS.

MAO is also the organiser of the oldest Biennial of Design (BIO), the oldest European design biennial, as well as the founder and coordinating entity of Future Architecture Platform.

Opendot (IT) OpenDot is a research and open innovation hub, a space dedicated to rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing, open and accessible to all. OpenDot, founded in Milan in 2014 by the design studio Dotdotdot, OpenDot generates changes that find in open source and technological know-how opportunities for growth in educational, design and production level.

OpenDot develops projects and research paths, training programmes and co-design processes involving all the stakeholders to create innovative solutions aimed at generating a positive social impact for people and the planet.

Opendot collaborates with Politecnico of Milan, DOMUS Academy, NABA (New Academy for Fine Arts) among other Universities. For 7 years it has been organizing the 6-months-lasting training Fab Academy, devoted to digital Fabrication and coordinated by MIT Media Lab.

Other Today is a company focused on creating sustainable and innovative design solutions by leveraging digital technologies and making them accessible to a broader audience. Their work involves using digital fabrication, such as 3D printing and other tools, to develop eco-friendly products and systems. Other Today provides resources for creatives to explore design processes that blend technology and sustainability. By promoting the use of open-source tools and materials, the company fosters collaboration within makerspaces and encourages sustainable design practices in the maker community.

P2P Lab (EL) works for the development and maintenance of a global knowledge commons, encompassing a global community of researchers, makers, artists, designers and others, that advocates and monitors models of peer production, peer governance and peer property in every field of human activity. Its wider network includes institutions and organisations from academia and civil society, active grassroots social movements and institutions working for the transition to a P2P-driven, commons future.

Pakhuis de Zwijger (NL) is a platform for urban development and the creative industry, located in a redeveloped warehouse in the city centre of Amsterdam. What started out as a ‘clubhouse for creatives’ seventeen years ago has now grown into a platform that organises cross-disciplinary discussions, workshops, festivals and more on a daily basis. Urging temporary urban issues with relevant stakeholders. Pakhuis de Zwijger informs, inspires, connects people, effectuates, monitors and reflects.

Paved With Gold is a company that focuses on the intersection of art, design, and technology. They specialize in creating innovative and sustainable solutions through digital fabrication and creative technologies. In relation to makerspaces, Paved With Gold provides tools, resources, and expertise to support makers and designers in exploring new possibilities in product development and design. They facilitate the use of emerging technologies to create unique, socially-conscious products and installations, contributing to the growth of the makerspace ecosystem by encouraging collaboration and experimentation with digital fabrication techniques.

Polifactory (IT) is the makerspace-fablab of Politecnico di Milano, serving as a multidisciplinary research lab aimed at exploring the relationship between design and evolving models of production, distribution, and use within product-service systems, particularly in the context of digital transformation and the shift towards a circular economy. Polifactory conducts competitive research, consultancy, and public engagement initiatives in collaboration with companies and institutions involved in design-driven innovation, user-driven innovation, as well as open and circular innovation. Through its Talents in Residence program, Polifactory supports the pre-incubation of ideas developed by young talents from Politecnico di Milano.

The Polytechnic University of Lisbon (IPL) is a public higher education institution in the metropolitan area of Lisbon composed of eight specialized schools covering Arts, Communication, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Business. The 2019 Newsweek’s global list of maker schools includes IPL, the only Portuguese institution featured. This distinction highlights its role in educational innovation and crisis response through digital fabrication.

The Local IPL DDP activities are coordinated by Prof. André Rocha and his team at the Lisbon School of Education (ESElx). Since joining the Distributed Design Platform in 2018, the team has developed key initiatives, including three editions of Maker Faire Lisboa, participation in Make Something Week with Greenpeace and the Fab Foundation, an annual open call connecting emerging and established DDP creatives, and active engagement in global events such as the Creative Commons Global Summit.

Fablab Benfica, a digital fabrication laboratory at ESELx and the only Portuguese node in the Fab Academy network, supports these activities. The lab serves as a prototyping space and educational hub, supporting initiatives like fabschools.pt and the Postgraduate Course in Design of Interactive Products for Education, in which students learn to and develop interactive educational products ranging from digital applications to tangible objects.

Precious Plastic is a global project that provides open-source machines and tools to recycle plastic waste into useful products. Through its network of community-run workshops and makerspaces, Precious Plastic empowers individuals and groups to create sustainable products from plastic waste, turning pollution into a resource. The platform supports the makerspace ecosystem by offering both the digital designs and physical machines necessary for creating a circular economy around plastic recycling.

Prusa3D is a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and related technology, known for producing high-quality, open-source 3D printing machines. They provide accessible 3D printing tools and resources for makers, designers, and engineers, enabling rapid prototyping and small-scale production. In relation to makerspaces, Prusa3D offers reliable and user-friendly 3D printers, along with an active online community that shares tips, designs, and support, helping to democratize the use of 3D printing technology within creative and maker communities.

re:publica  is one of the largest and most exciting conferences centered on digital culture, which explores how technology impacts society, politics, and everyday life. Originating in 2007, it has grown into one of Europe’s largest events of its kind, attracting a diverse audience of activists, scientists, hackers, entrepreneurs, NGOs, journalists, social media and marketing experts, and many others.  The festival features a wide range of activities, including lectures, workshops, a pop-up makerspace and panel discussions that cover topics like internet policy, digital rights, and future technologies. Held annually in Berlin, re:publica fosters a collaborative environment that fosters innovation and  creates synergies between net politics, online marketing, network technology, digital society, and (pop) culture.

SPLOT Institute (PL) inspires cross-disciplinary creative collaboration to address pressing social, environmental and economical challenges. We deliver schemes for young creators from diverse backgrounds using our own methodology, successfully applied in international projects such as SPLOT UA Residency (organized in collaboration with the US Department of State and the US Embassy Warsaw), Direction Earth/Space Creative Campus (for the European Space Agency) and ART+DESIGN+SCIENCE schemes (supported by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage).

The Flipflopi Project is an environmental initiative focused on creating sustainable solutions by upcycling plastic waste. The project is best known for building the world’s first traditional dhow boat made entirely from recycled plastic, promoting the idea of a circular economy. In relation to makerspaces, the Flipflopi Project encourages innovation by involving local communities and makers in repurposing waste materials into useful products. Their work fosters a culture of sustainability, teaching makers how to transform plastic waste into valuable resources through creative and environmentally conscious design practices.

TMDC (Workshop for the Materialisation and Development of Concepts) is a makerspace born within Betahaus Barcelona, evolving from a small carpentry workshop into a 5000m² industrial space.

Equipped with advanced tools and machinery for woodworking, metalworking, and plastics, TMDC empowers creators to transform ideas into tangible, locally made products. Its mission is to offer flexible access to manufacturing resources for curious and hands-on makers and creatives.

WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) is a company pioneering sustainable 3D printing, particularly in architecture. Their projects, like the TECLA 3D-printed house, use alternative materials such as soil, replacing traditional concrete to create more sustainable housing. WASP supports makerspaces focused on sustainability and innovation in construction, offering tools and technologies that empower communities to create eco-friendly, low-cost housing.

Wikifactory is an online platform that enables collaborative product development, primarily for makers and designers. It supports real-time collaboration on hardware projects, offering tools for version control, CAD sharing, and team communication. Wikifactory complements makerspaces by allowing distributed teams to work together seamlessly on designs and prototypes, enhancing collaboration and streamlining the development process.

Transforming waste into high-performance bio-composites

As part of the Distributed Design Residency 2024 at Maker V-10, Danish startup Nuterials advanced their mission to replace traditional plastics with biodegradable bio-composites made from upcycled walnut shells. Specializing in injection molding, 3D printing, and thermoforming, Nuterials explored new production methods to optimize their material for real-world applications.

With access to state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, the residency allowed Nuterials to refine their material’s performance under heat, pressure, and different fabrication techniques. Collaborating with experts and designers, they expanded their research into sustainable 3D printing by developing a bio-plaster from walnut shells and bio-resin.

Beyond technical innovation, Nuterials embraced Distributed Design as a tool for scalable, circular solutions. Partnering with Jardines en el Aire (FabLab Sevilla) and Antonio Esparza, they contributed to the Worm Tower project, applying their bio-composites to urban agriculture and regenerative design. With this collaboration they experimented with using their walnut material for 3D printing.

The residency strengthened Nuterials’ vision for collaborative material innovation, reinforcing the potential of waste as a valuable resource. Moving forward, they continue to seek partnerships with designers and manufacturers eager to integrate sustainable materials into future products.