Fab-Lab workshops receive greatly increased support

“It's wonderful that a framework is being created for Fab-Lab workshops in Iceland. That they are finally getting a solid foundation for growth and can better mature within society,” said Þóra Óskarsdóttir, director of Fab-Lab in Reykjavík.
The government's contribution to the country's Fab-Lab workshops will be greatly increased with a new agreement that was signed on the workshop's premises at Breiðholt Upper Secondary School yesterday morning. The ministries' contribution will total 84 million in 2021.

Þóra says the work of the Fab-Lab workshops has been a major grassroots effort. “That's actually the magic of it, that this is a grassroots effort. But to ensure growth and continuation in the education system, in the business sector, and for entrepreneurs, this support from the government was necessary. We have reached a point where we have become an integral part of innovation, education, and business.”

The workshop is open to everyone

Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education and Culture, and Dagur Eggertsson, Mayor of Reykjavík, signed the agreement this morning at a formal ceremony.

A total of eight Fab-Lab workshops are operated in the country. Although most Fab-Lab workshops are operated in schools, they are open to the public and are an important part of promoting innovative thinking in both schools and the business sector. Their activities aim to serve students, entrepreneurs, companies, and the public in bringing their ideas to fruition.

The Fab-Lab workshops are also connected to a powerful network of experts in 100 countries and are therefore always based on new technology and emerging studies. They also play a very important role in supporting active participation and interest in vocational and technical studies in primary and secondary schools and improving technological literacy.

“Here we are introducing the latest technology to people. So that people can use it for their benefit and to create. Not just for entertainment but to get further,” said Þóra.

Meeting the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Þórdís Kolbrún specifically mentioned the importance of innovation as a precursor to all progress. “This is a formula that works,” said the minister specifically about the Fab-Lab workshops, adding that they are a valuable platform for innovation and training for the jobs of the future and the challenges that lie ahead.

Lilja mentioned the key competence that lies in creative thinking, which future competitiveness is based on, and a new education policy that requires good facilities for digital skills. “We are rapidly moving into new and exciting times,” said the minister, and the signing of the agreement today is part of the government's action plan to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The agreement that was signed aims to better connect the work of the workshops with regional key players in the fields of education, research, culture, and business, and to ensure access to them in all parts of the country. Their operational basis is strengthened and their framework is more firmly established with clearer involvement from the two ministries, municipalities in each location, and educational institutions.

Þóra Óskarsdóttir from Fab-Lab will soon be a guest on IÐAN's video podcast, where the activities of Fab-Lab, the gadgets, and their potential uses will be discussed in detail.