HCM CITY — Innovators and researchers from Asian countries and territories are meeting to exchange experience and knowledge, discuss and collaborate at the 4^th Fablab Asia Network Conference that opened yesterday in HCM City.

The three-day conference, titled “Co-create a better world”, gives international participants opportunities to co-create solutions with local counterparts, as well as organisations, who seek to make an impact.

Teams will brainstorm and prototype hands-on solutions that address a challenge in the local context or improve on an existing solution.

Speakers with expertise in digital fabrication and innovation for social change will share and give demonstrations of international projects from Fablabs around the world.

Local and international participants would team up to co-create solutions and to boost socially meaningful projects for sustainable development issues such as clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, waste treatment and environmental protection and other critical issues that are highly relevant to Việt Nam, Trần Thị Thu Hương, assistant to the Minister of Science and Technology, said.

“The best value that FAN4 brings to the Vietnamese innovation eco-system, especially to young generations, is the culture of innovation to transform oneself and society.

“When individuals and groups gain knowledge, develop skills, and acquire new values as a result of learning and co-creating, they are equipped with tools and mindsets for creating lasting change in organisations, communities, and societies.”

Fablabs need to connect with policy makers and entrepreneurs as they need support from governments and businesses to be able to attract more inventive people, empower more individuals from under-served communities, and turn ideas and technical solutions into value addition for society, she said.

“Only together in a healthy innovation eco-system can we co-create a better world towards the Sustainable Development Goals as FAN4 aims to.”

A fab lab (fabrication laboratory) is a small-scale workshop offering digital fabrication.

Fablab, which began as an outreach project by MIT’s Centre for Bits and Atoms in the US, is a creative and social place to empower a local community to test and innovate.

The Fablab Vietnam Network was established in 2016 to collaborate and share knowledge among fablabs, and includes Fablab Saigon, Fablab Danang and Fablab Hanoi.

The Fablab Asia Network Conference is a chance for Fabmakers to come and meet and expand the network and makerspace in Asia.

FAN 4, organised by the Fablab Vietnam Network and Saigon Innovation Hub, is expected to strengthen the network and improve FabLab Technology in Asia.

It is also a chance to promote common use of Asian makers in FabLab, to solve common Asian problems and promote collaboration among Asian FabLabs and makers in Asia. —VNS