Saturday, August 20, 2011

FAB 7: day 4

Where to begin? Thursday, today, is the public day of the conference with a full slate of presenters. The range of topics is staggering and exciting. Cut-paste genetic fabrication techniques, DIY UAV drones, the economics of distributed fabrication, exotic materials and 3D printing are just a few of the subjects.

It was truly an amazing day. The talk which resonated most with me was that given by the deputy mayor of Barcelona, Spain. Their elected leaders are embarking on a crusade to make Barcelona the first Fab city. Barcelona presently has four Fab Labs with maybe a dozen planned. The aim is to reshape the city with an economy based upon distributed and personal fabrication. The implications are radical.

Just ask yourself this...what if you could make everything you needed (or buy things you needed) from a local fab shop like fab lab? And if this concept became popular, what would become of retail? What would become of mass production economies? What would become of global supply chains and international commerce? Think about these things and stay tuned. The next new economic model is coming.

Finally the day ended by recognizing the graduates of the latest global Fab Academy class. Job well done!

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