Kochi All Set to Host Fablab Asia Network Conference

KOCHI:
The second leg of the third edition of the FabLab Asia Network conference (FAN3) will be held at Mill Hall, Mattancherry on Jan 17-18 th , 2017.
The first leg of the conference is being held at Mumbai from Jan 12-15 th , 2017. Theweek-long event is organized every year by the Fablab Asia Foundation – a network of 81Fablabs located in 21 countries in the
Asia Pacific region.The Kochi event, hosted by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM),Vigyan Ashram and Research Innovation Incubation Design Labs (RiiDL) will focus on digital fabrication and international collaboration.
FabLabs (Fabrication Laboratories) are facilities where people with minimal training can design and manufacture any product using advanced manufacturing machines linked to a computer. Such facilities are an integral part of a startup ecosystem, as they help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into prototypes with ease. KSUM has already set up two Fablabs – one each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi – in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Centre of Bits and Atoms.
Fablabs also serve as a knowledge sharing network that connects a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers and innovators. The FAN3 conference is part of such an exercise. 80 international delegates, 200 local makersare expected to participate inthis year’s conference.
A series of technical workshops, panel discussions and talks will be held as part of the event. Panel discussisons on “Art, Design and Digital Fabrication”, “Revamping education by integrating digital fabrication” and “Creating Sustainable Cities”- – will be held as part of the conference. The conference will also deliberate on developing the startup ecosystem in the state. The event will provide a platform for students and startups to interact and collaborate with makers from across the world.
The delegates will also visit the Kochi MuzirisBiennale(KMB) and explore the opportunities to connect art, design and digital fabrication. The third edition of the Biennale has seen more installations in the new media category – which fuse technology and creativity to create unique art. As KMB’s technology partner, KSUM has been providing the necessary technical help for the project. It has deployed the Fablab team under it for the purpose.
KSUM has also opened a space -Maker Outpost- at Mill Hall in Mattanchery, as part of the Biennale, for showcasing FabLab skills. Best projects from Innovation &
Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDC) in colleges in the state have been showcased at the Outpost.The Kerala Fab Academy has also trained the artists from Srishti School of Art and Design Technology at the Fablab. Their projects are also being showcased at the Mill hall.
The effort to bring together technology and art is aimed at promoting design thinking, in the state. It is expected that it will help technologists design better products that will make life easier. Artists and technologists have different viewpoints and ways of working and the collaboration is expected to help them get an understanding of the aesthetics involved in design.
KSUM hopes that FAN3 conference in Kochi would strengthen the Maker culture in the state, by providing makers, hobbyists, students and start-upsan opportunity to connect with international delegates. It plans to set up 20 mini Fablabsin the engineering colleges in the state. A 2 day hands on Maker workshop named “FAbXL” exclusively for engineering /polytechnic students are being conducted. The workshop is designed in such a way that the participants gets familiarised with the digital fabrication machines and on how to use them in converting an idea into a prototype.
The Fablabsin the state have already been credited with instilling a Do-It- Yourself culture among the innovators in the state.The new initiatives of KSUM are sure to deepen the startup ecosystem and promote entrepreneurship in the state.