After 12 years of the Fablab association’s work in Croatia and on the European scene, yesterday we had the exceptional opportunity to present our work and our vision to the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović.
The association’s delegation that visited the President’s office consisted of:

• Professor Emeritus Bojan Baletić, member of the association’s Management Board
• Roberto Vdović, president of Fablab
• Tatjana Jakšić and Richard Edgeler, staff of the association

The meeting was an opportunity to look back on more than a decade of Fablab’s dedicated work in social innovation, digital fabrication and strengthening maker culture in Croatia. Over the years, Fablab has become an important actor in civil society, connecting the academic community, local communities and international partners.

Professor Emeritus Bojan Baletić presented the history of Fablab’s founding, which grew out of the „outreach“ work of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb. Cooperation with the University of Zagreb has remained the foundation of our development, and over the years Fablab has grown into a platform connecting science, technology, design and education.

Fablab’s president Roberto Vdović presented the association’s key initiatives aimed at building local innovation ecosystems:

• FabCity Zagreb – working with urban development stakeholders to encourage local production and sustainable cities.

• Adriatic GreenLab – an initiative to build self-sustaining communities in rural and remote areas, using innovation, design and local resources.

• Designing the Future Academy – although Fablab has for years been the provider of the internationally prestigious Fab Academy programme, the only one in the wider region, the emphasis here is on developing our own national education model. The Academy is conceived as an inclusive lifelong learning programme, aimed at empowering individuals through creativity, practical skills and innovative thinking.

We were especially glad that the discussion during the meeting moved towards social impact and the importance of innovation ecosystems, rather than technology alone. Because time was limited, we did not manage to present some further themes that Fablab develops continuously and that are central to what we do. Among them are the association’s sustainability models and numerous projects in education, STEM work, digital fabrication, participatory design and community involvement. There is also the important matter of our strong international connections – from years of participation in the global Fablab network to an active contribution to the Vulca European network, where Fablab currently sits on the management board. It is precisely this international cooperation that makes it possible to transfer knowledge, experience and good practice that strengthen local communities in Croatia.

We hope there will be an opportunity in future to continue the conversation on these topics with the President’s team, so that together we can contribute to the development of an innovative and inclusive society.

We thank President Zoran Milanović and the members of his team for the time they set aside, for their interest and for their openness to a dialogue about the importance of building innovation ecosystems in Croatia. Meetings like this confirm that the role of civil society, creative communities and innovation organisations matters more and more to how society develops.

Fablab will carry on developing projects through which we contribute to sustainable development, technological literacy and stronger communities across Croatia.

We also want to express our sincere gratitude to all current and former Fablab employees, associates and volunteers. Their dedicated work, expertise and contribution over the years have made it possible for so much to be carried through successfully, and to be presented today at the highest level of the state. Every single person who has been part of Fablab has left a mark on the development of our community, and the successes we present today are the result of exactly that shared investment, vision and persistence.