First fablab in the Netherlands

At the El Hema exhibition on August 24, 2007, the first Fablab was deployed in the Netherlands. It was in a narrow alley next to the exhibition with a borrowed Epilog, a Modela, a Camm cutter and a sublimation press.

Mediamatic’s Irene Nooren was the labmanager

The concept was new

Few people had ever seen a lasercutter

In September 2007 Fablab.nl put up a temporary Fablab at Picnic07, where Frank Oxener, Hanne van Essen, Dirk van Vreeswijk and Bart Bakker built a Fab@home 3D-printer. We showed it at the Picnic Photo booth.

Neil Gerschenfeld dropped by at our Picnic lab. In person.

Then on 12 December 2007 the FabLab in the Hague – which now probably is the best equipped Fablab in the Netherlands – opened. And now there are more than 20 fablabs in the Benelux.

Today 5 years ago it really took off thanks to the zest of Frank, Hanne and Dirk. Kudo’s to them and congratulations to us all !