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| Fablab Amsterdam | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fablab Amsterdam |
| Established | 2009 |
| Location | Amsterdam |
| Type | Fabrication laboratory |
| Director | Ruben van der Vleuten |
| Website | Official website |
Fablab Amsterdam
Fablab Amsterdam is a fabrication laboratory and community workshop in Amsterdam that provides access to digital fabrication tools and collaborative maker resources. Founded amid the global Fab Lab movement and influenced by institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Waag Society, the lab has become a nexus for designers, artists, engineers, students, entrepreneurs, and researchers from institutions such as University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Rijksakademie. The space interacts with networks including FabLab Network, Maker Faire, and regional initiatives like Amsterdam Smart City.
The lab originated in 2009 during the expansion of the Fab Lab concept that followed work at the Center for Bits and Atoms and advocates like Neil Gershenfeld. Early collaborations involved Waag Society, Mediamatic, and municipal programs linked to the City of Amsterdam cultural agenda. During the 2010s it participated in European projects funded by frameworks such as Horizon 2020 and connected with partners including EIT Digital, Creative Europe, and universities such as Delft University of Technology and TU Eindhoven. The lab hosted residencies with artists associated with De Appel and researchers from Philips Research and promoted initiatives similar to Hackerspace movements and events like Dutch Design Week.
Facilities include CNC milling machines inspired by standards at the Center for Bits and Atoms, laser cutters comparable to models used at MIT Media Lab, and 3D printers often from manufacturers like Ultimaker and Prusa Research. Electronics benches stock components from suppliers such as Adafruit Industries and SparkFun Electronics, and prototype tools align with practices at Arduino and Raspberry Pi communities. Workshop areas support woodworking and metalworking adjacent to textile studios resembling setups at TextileLab Amsterdam and digital fabrication suites similar to those at Fab Lab Barcelona.
Programs range from introductory maker workshops modeled after Make: curricula and Civic Hacking meetups to advanced prototyping courses linked to TU Delft curricula and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences collaborations. Services include membership models used by Hackerspace Amsterdam and consultancy for startups incubated at accelerators like Startupbootcamp and Yes!Delft. The lab runs certification sessions reflecting Fab Academy pedagogy and participates in outreach with schools such as ROC Amsterdam and cultural partners like Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
The community comprises designers from Droog, engineers from ASML, researchers from TNO, and entrepreneurs connected to Rockstart. Partnerships include cultural collaborations with Eye Filmmuseum, research ties to Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and Amsterdam Institute of Technology, and joint projects with NGOs such as OXFAM and Greenpeace Netherlands. The lab maintains exchange links with international nodes including Fab Lab Barcelona, Fab Lab Madrid, MakerLab Rio, and academic partners at Imperial College London and ETH Zurich.
Notable projects include collaborations on urban prototyping for Amsterdam Light Festival, product design efforts with companies like Philips and TomTom, and sustainability prototypes linked to EIT Climate-KIC. The lab supported makers who exhibited at Dutch Design Week and Salone del Mobile, and hosted citizen science projects similar to initiatives at Science Gallery and Public Lab. Resident projects have ranged from open-source hardware comparable to OpenROV and Open Source Ecology to biohacking experiments aligning with practices at BioCurious.
Governance follows a nonprofit structure similar to other cultural labs associated with Waag Society and municipal cultural foundations. Funding sources have included grants from European Commission programs, sponsorships from corporations such as Philips and Canon, membership fees modeled on Hackerspace economies, and project funding via Stimulation Fund for the Creative Industries and local cultural grants administered through Amsterdam Fund for the Arts.
The lab has influenced maker culture in the Netherlands and received attention in dialogues involving Dutch Design Foundation and policy discussions tied to Amsterdam Smart City. It has been featured in coverage by outlets like NRC Handelsblad, Het Parool, and international media referencing Wired (magazine) and Dezeen. Alumni and collaborators have gone on to win awards including Dutch Design Awards and participate in exhibitions at institutions such as Het Nieuwe Instituut and Scheepvaartmuseum.
Category:Fab labs Category:Organizations based in Amsterdam Category:Maker culture