At Open Knowledge Foundation Germany we started a Prototype Fund Open Hardware to enable and support the development and documentation of open-source hardware projects in the public interest.

The goal of the Prototype Fund Hardware is to develop a framework for a funding program that promotes open hardware in the long term. Also the purpose of the PFH is to give open hardware more visibility overall and connect the community in this field. Individuals and small (interdisciplinary) teams can receive financial and non-material support for testing ideas and developing open-source hardware. The Prototype Fund Hardware has been brought to life for a first round by Maximilian Voigt and Daniel Wessolek in the context of the BMBF funded research project MoFab. Six successful projects have been funded through the first round, in areas like textile recycling, energy harvesting, laser PCB fabrication, mushroom growing, clean water, and off-grid cooking for large crowds.

About the creative talent

Dr. Daniel Wessolek is Interaction Designer and open hardware advocate based in Berlin. Recently he worked on European research projects including Careables and OPEN!NEXT, as well as on a project on Mobile Makerspaces in the Lausitz area in Germany. Currently he is working in the area of Smart Agriculture and teaching students of applied sciences at HTW and BHT. He has worked and studied in Canada (Concordia), USA (MIT), China (Tongji), and Singapore (SUTD), among other places.