In June 2019, the city of Hamburg became the first German city to join the global Fab Cities initiative. In October 2020, the Fab City Hamburg e.V. association was established by Hamburg's Fab Labs, Makerspaces, workshops, innovative startups and research institutions.

A few snapshots of the Fab City Hamburg network

Our Mission

Fab City Hamburg’s mission is to promote science and research; environmental protection; public education and vocational training, including scholarships for students; and art and culture. The purpose of the association will be achieved through “development and research in the field of openly licensed production technology (software and hardware), as well as towards the goal set by the international Fab City Foundation of completely transforming the urban economy of a Fab City into a circular economy by the year 2054, so that no more physical goods or raw materials are imported or exported. Instead everything a Fab City consumes is produced locally. Fab City Hamburg conducts research itself and in close cooperation with research institutions, especially those that are members. Research results are published publicly in the association’s own media and journals.”

Vision

With open source and digital manufacturing, we are making the economy of city of the future circular and sustainable.

For us, it was always clear: It’s not about Hamburg having one or two Fab Labs - it’s about scaling the idea, about creating a new infrastructure for DIY. Ideally, this will one day include a Fab Lab in every district of the city.

Axel Sylvester, Chair of Fab Lab Fabulous St. Pauli e.V. and Managing Director of Fab City Hamburg e.V.

The concept of the Fab City stems from the Fab Lab movement. Fab Labs (fabrication laboratories) are open workshops where modern manufacturing tools like 3D printers and CNC mills can be used to produce almost anything, from cars to cell phones to houses. There are well over 1000 Fab Labs worldwide and their number is growing exponentially. This type of production is also referred to as digital manufacturing because it is based on computer-generated blueprints (designs). As a result, the products of the future will be designed globally and manufactured locally. A city becomes a Fab City if it systematically aims to provide access to Fab Labs that is as widespread and inclusive as possible.

Press release (German) of the Hamburg Ministry of Economics and Innovation

Talk by Niels Boeing: What is a Fab City? [German]

Founding Members

Full Founding Members

• Code for Hamburg e.V.
• Fab Lab Fabulous St. Pauli e.V.
• Goldschmiede Killing GbR
• Hamburger Institut für Wissensmanagement und Wertschöpfungssystematik UG
• Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft
• HCAT + e.v.
• Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces
• HoFaLab e.V.
• House of All UG
• Impact Hub Hamburg GmbH
• Libre Solar Technologies GmbH
• Miraico UG
• Welcome Werkstatt e.V.

Associate Founding Member

Oskar Lidtke

Structure

Officers

Chair Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces (represented by Dr. Tobias Redlich)

1. Vice Chair Fab Lab Fabulous St. Pauli e.V. (represented by Niels Boeing)

2. Vice Chair Süderelbe AG (represented by Dr. Jürgen Glaser)

Board

House of All UG (represented by Sarah Prien)
HoFaLab e.V. (represented by Thierry Perret and Henner Henkel) Regenholz GbR (represented by Fynn Schmid and René Watral)

Treasurer

Hamburger Institut für Wissensmanagement und Wertschöpfungssystematik UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
HIWW (represented by Manuel Moritz)

Association registration number (Vereinsregisternummer):

VR 24578

Global Organization

Fab City Hamburg e.V. is part of the global Fab City Initiative. The Fab City Foundation is based in Tallinn, Estonia.

Supporters

The Fab City Hamburg project is supported by the Hamburg Ministry of Economics and Innovation.