New Fab City Lab to open in downtown Hamburg

22 April 2022

Emphasis on resource-efficient production of everyday items and spare parts

A new so-called Fab City Lab has opened in Hamburg's Central Library as an open workshop in which people from all walks of life can try their hand at making finished products from 3D models or using a laser cutter to bring their own ideas to life. The agenda includes workshops and courses for both beginners and advanced users.

Important step on way to Fab City Hamburg

"One of our aims is to provide as many people as possible with the knowledge and skills required for their own product ideas using the latest manufacturing technology," said Dr. Tobias Redlich of Helmut Schmidt University and Chair of Fab City Hamburg e. V. Residents of Hamburg will have access to production technologies that are as low-threshold as possible. Speaking at the opening in early April, Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economics, termed the offer "an important step on the way to Fab City Hamburg and the associated local production".

Digital manufacturing for a circular economy

In June 2019, Hamburg became the first German city to join the global Fab Cities initiative, which consists of some 40 cities or regions worldwide. The goal is to create cities that can manufacture almost everything themselves and to establish a circular local economy based on open-source principles. Ideally, as many residents as possible should be involved and become producers themselves. By 2054, the process should be so advanced that a fab city imports and exports only data while production is mainly localised. To advance and realize this vision, the Hamburg Fab City scene consisting of Fab Labs, Makerspaces, workshops, start-ups and research institutions joined forces last October to form the Fab City Hamburg e. V. and joined the global Fab City network. Their projects are backed by the Ministry of Economics and Innovation.

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