Ictp Scientific Fabrication Laboratory (scifablab)

Our fabrication workshop, known as a “Scientific Fabrication Laboratory” (or SciFabLab), is open to the public at no cost for three afternoons and evening every week: every Tuesday and Thursday 16:00-19:00; every Saturday 14:00-19:00.
ICTP’s Scientific FabLab, that is part of the Science, Technology and Innovation Unit (STI) of the ICTP, aims to play a significant role as a focal point to support the creative work of scientists and scholars. This Scientific FabLab is devoted to creativity, invention and research for the benefit of the whole society. Since August 2014, our SciFabLab has been a pioneer in using innovative, low-cost technologies to transfer scientific knowledge and education to and from the developing world. In early 2013 ICTP launched a 3D Printing Lab with low-cost technologies. This activity was further supported by the First International Workshop on Low-cost 3D Printing for Science, Education and Sustainable Development, together with the publishing of a popular open book on the topic that has been then translated into multiple languages.

We foresee that ICTP’s Scientific FabLab will be exported to the developing world, specially across the ICTP’s research networks, and extended to empower scholars, scientists, and individuals there. Such FabLabs will help them in designing, discussing and creating innovative low-cost devices, such as inter-linked tiny sensors to gather data from multiple places with the use of Arduino microcontrollers. The field of interaction between man and machine is also of special research interest within FabLabs.