Winners of Fab City's Maker Challenge start prototype phase

13 October 2022

Latest phase to give teams competitive edge

Twenty winners of Fab City's Hamburg Maker Challenge have now entered the prototype phase following the kick-off event on Friday (October 7, 2022). The aim is to make regional and digital manufacturing methods such as 3D printing and laser cutters available to the public and boost the circular economy. The Maker Challenge had issued a call for product ideas and concepts with social or ecological benefits and that can be produced in a Fab Lab. The winners include bend lighting for bicycles, smart dustbins and a wheelchair that can climb stairs.

20 prototypes by next February

Each winning team receives a budget of up to EUR 250 per prototype and the backing of a mentor. The prototypes are due for completion by February 2023 and will be presented to the public at the Maker Expo on March 3-4, 2023. "Hitting on an idea is one thing, but making a prototype is another! I am very excited by the results and look forward to seeing products 'Made in Hamburg' at the Maker Expo," said Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economics.

Made in Hamburg

Hamburg joined the global Fab City network in 2019 to boost digital production technologies and to encourage manufacturing companies to settle in the city. The Maker Challenge is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). More information can be found on the Fab City Hamburg website.

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