Published on March 25th, 2024
Since 2005, members of the international Fab Lab community—a network of more than 2,700 Labs stretching across the globe—have gathered annually to share their work and findings in the fields of advanced manufacturing, digital technology, innovation, and sustainability. FAB24 México will be the 20th edition of the annual Fab Lab Conference & Symposium, a platform for knowledge exchange designed to foster connections and partnerships between innovators of the international maker movement and local communities to shape a brighter collective future.
This landmark event is made possible through the collaboration of the Fab Foundation, MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA), Instituto de Diseño e Innovación Tecnológica (IDIT) IBERO Puebla, the Fab City Global Initiative, and a regional consortium of government agencies in Puebla, Mexico. Today, the group extends an open invitation to any organization interested in partnering to support the event and becoming part of the Fab Lab community.
Over the years, hundreds of partners across a broad spectrum of global innovators and changemakers have worked alongside the Fab Foundation, including: government agencies, such as USAID, American Center Cairo, German Cooperation, CORFO, and LOJIQ; industry leaders, such as Chevron, Airbus, GE Ventures, Groupe Renault, and ArchDaily; and cutting-edge technology companies, such as SOLIDWORKS, Seeed Studio, ShopBot, Brother, and Trotec. These longstanding relationships have deepened the social, academic, economic, environmental, and technical impact of countless historic initiatives.
Such collaborations have also provided direct support for the annual international FABx event, expanding access to knowledge for new community members around the world and ensuring the availability of needed technology for hands-on workshops demonstrating novel ways to remake traditional industries. At FAB24, supporting stakeholders will have the chance to interact deeply with members of the Fab Lab Network, identifying synergies and shared goals to foster future collaboration. Together, they will construct a roadmap for the development of groundbreaking solutions for concerns related to business leadership, philanthropic initiatives, distributed manufacturing, support for entrepreneurship, academic research, education practices, and more.
This international conference is expected to attract thousands of participants from various disciplines and industries. Leveraging the combined strength of local and global networks, the event will bring together a pioneering community to explore the transformative power of social innovation, education, industry 4.0, circular economies, and sustainability while showcasing Mexico’s culture and entrepreneurial spirit on the world stage. Participants will engage in a collective effort to promote equity and social justice at a global scale by co-developing innovative solutions for social problems that can be implemented in local contexts everywhere.
The unique format of the event offers myriad opportunities for supporters to engage with the Fab Lab community, contributing to the development of the digital manufacturing industry and strengthening the network of professionals working in health, design, engineering, social movements, and many other fields. This is a chance for new partners to learn about global innovation and advanced technology through the exchange of ideas while also contributing directly to the global creative community’s efforts, expanding the reach of the international Fab Lab Network and laying the groundwork for future collaborative projects.
Throughout the event, partners will have the opportunity to forge relationships with recognized institutions and emergent innovators in technology, sustainability, education, and social impact. Such interactions provide a pathway for democratizing access to the digital economy, shrinking the technology divide in Mexico, and stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship across local and global ecosystems. The Fab Foundation invites new partners to join its global network of knowledge to share, learn, and shape the future together.
For more information, please send inquiries directly to one of the following contacts:
The Fab Foundation, which emerged from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms Fab Lab Program, is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes digital fabrication around the world. The Foundation operates a global network of Fab Labs—community-based workshops that provide access to the tools and technologies of advanced manufacturing. The Fab Foundation organizes the annual FABx event, bringing together makers, innovators, educators, and community leaders from around the world to explore and celebrate the transformative power of digital fabrication.
MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) is an interdisciplinary initiative exploring the boundary between computer science and physical science. Launched by a National Science Foundation award in 2001, CBA studies how to turn data into things and things into data. It manages facilities, runs research programs, supervises students, works with sponsors, creates startups, and does public outreach.
Instituto de Diseño e Innovación Tecnológica (IDIT) IBERO Puebla is an open innovation ecosystem that uses cutting-edge technology to develop innovative solutions for communities, companies and government through applied research projects in conjunction with academia. It seeks to bring the most advanced technology and knowledge of design and digital production to all people who have innovative ideas or projects with potential for success.
The Fab City Global Initiative facilitates the connection between the maker movement and policymakers in order to build critical momentum toward the development of a new production paradigm—where food, energy, and products are made using local infrastructure and materials. The knowledge and open source prototypes created for this local production are then shared globally, thanks to the power of the internet.
The state and municipal governments of Puebla are working together to improve the quality of life for all citizens of the Puebla region in México. As a united force, they have committed to providing direct support for FAB24 in our collective effort toward fabricating equity.