Within the project “STEM as a driver of development”, delivered with the support of the Thematic Systemic Support scheme of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development, FabLab Zagreb continues to strengthen local STEM ecosystems and to promote sustainable community development. One important step in that process was taking part in the 2025 Vulca Seminar, held at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy, where makers, researchers and innovators from across Europe come together.

This edition of the seminar, marking 11 years of the Vulca community, placed particular emphasis on open innovation and on connecting European organisations that build and support maker ecosystems. Through the Vulca Club, where FabLab Zagreb sits on the board, we continued to strengthen international cooperation and established networks with interested partners from Greece, Malta, Portugal, Spain, France and other countries.

On 3 November, architect and FabLab president Roberto Vdović gave a pitch on “Building local ecosystems for STEAM as a driver of development”. The talk presented examples of successful local centres, such as the centre in Grobnik, along with future visions, among which Adriatic GreenLab (AGL) holds a special place – an initiative to develop a self-sustaining island community on the island of Prvić.

The presentation attracted great interest from participants and opened up possibilities for new partnerships in sustainable development, open innovation and education.

By taking part in the Vulca Seminar, FabLab Zagreb further strengthened its role in the growing European maker ecosystem, confirming the importance of international networking as a driver of local change. It is precisely events like these that make possible the exchange of knowledge, experience and inspiration needed to build communities that actively take part in innovation and in creating a more sustainable future.