3dlab Utec
San Salvador, El Salvador
About 3dlab Utec
The 3dlab Utec Makerspace in San Salvador, El Salvador, El Salvador, is a dedicated innovation centre for students, engineers, and creative professionals. it combines professional-grade fabrication equipment — including 3D printers, laser cutters, and microcontroller development kits — with a supportive community of makers and mentors. The lab actively supports the STEM ecosystem in San Salvador by hosting workshops on topics ranging from robotics and AI to sustainable design and product development. Entrepreneurs benefit from rapid prototyping capabilities that compress the distance between idea and market-ready product. 3dlab Utec stands as proof that when tools, knowledge, and community come together, extraordinary things are built.
Description
1) Center of Excellence for 3D printing
A large portion of academic activities (research, coursework, projects, day to day operations, etc) are related to additive manufacturing. Focusing on a single technology allows us to be highly proficient in one topic, instead of average at multiple ones.
2) Public Fabrication and prototyping space
Opened for everyone whether they are university students or not, offering workshops in different aspects of digital fabrication and access to tools and equipment.
3) Middleman between academia and industry
This is to close the gap between academia and the industry in the country by creating opportunities for students to solve real world problems in the Salvadoran industry through innovative ideas and commercialization of technology. On the other hand this also positions 3DLAB as a professional talent generator by developing the relevant skillsets in UTEC students with these industrial experiences
Our current goal is to become a Fablab to position us in the global map of Fab Foundation as the first Fab Lab in a university in El Salvador. Next steps include fostering collaborative projects between regional and international fablabs, as well as graduating some members from the Fab Academy to then be able to host the Fab Academy and teach these courses to members from the community to grow the Salvadoran maker community. In preparation for this we are currently expanding our facility to offer more workspace, which will be available by the end of July 2019.
Finally, we aim to be the leading academic fablab in Central America, and a renowned lab in Latin America, in terms of education quality, social impact, and technological research and development.
Who Can Benefit
Students & Researchers
University and school students who want access to fabrication tools, prototyping equipment, and expert mentorship.
Entrepreneurs & Startups
Early-stage founders who need a collaborative space to build, test, and iterate on their hardware or software ideas.
Educators & Trainers
Teachers and trainers who want to run practical STEM workshops, coding bootcamps, or design sprints for their cohorts.
Independent Makers
Hobbyists, artists, and independent inventors who need access to tools and a community of like-minded creators.