Creating Together: ATHENA’s ‘Co-Creation Hub’ moves forward with its second meeting in Porto

ATHENA’s initiative, known as the “Co-Creation Hub,” enables FabLabs, makerspaces, and Design Factories within the ATHENA Alliance to open their creative workshops for joint projects and collaboration. To further strengthen this initiative, the intensive workshop of the “Co-Creation Hub” members took place on June 29th and 30th in Porto, Portugal, with the main goal of creating a collaborative project roadmap for joint activities. The meeting was held at the Porto Design Factory and was attended by all nine alliance partners, as well as an associated partner from the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in Austria. Bringing Ideas to Life As agreed during the first on-site meeting in FabLab Siegen, Germany, which took place in November, the collaboration between FabLabs, makerspaces, and Design Factories is highly valuable for ATHENA students, the industry, and society as a whole. The meeting in Porto helped to align the activities of the initiative and begin building the pilot program for ATHENA students, which is set to launch in the spring semester of 2024. The pilot program will utilize a problem-based methodology and will be tailored for interdisciplinary and international teams. Its primary objective is to assist students in solving real-world problems by leveraging the advantages offered by FabLabs and makerspaces, such as 3D printing and CNC machines. The ATHENA “Co-Creation Hub” During the meeting at the Porto Design Factory (PDF), representatives from the “Co-Creation Hub” had the opportunity to draw inspiration from each other’s projects and activities, discuss common challenges faced by partners, and share best practices and knowledge. The innovative “Co-Creation Hub” platform aims to foster collaboration among various stakeholders in the ATHENA ecosystem, including university students, staff, industry, and society at large. The “Co-Creation Hub” provides a unique space for these diverse groups to come together and collaborate on new ideas, products, and solutions. Stay tuned for more updates on the launch of the pilot “Co-Creation Hub” program!