FAB 12 is over, and even if you didn’t have the chance to go, you can still listen to the local makers who came back from Shenzhen talk about it. This article is the live broadcast of Fablab Tainan‘s experience in FAB 12. You can click the videos and watch them directly. Let us go through this event from different perspectives:
From Fab12 to the Global Maker Trends
Posted by Punplace on Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Going to the conference
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Monday, August 8, 2016
The ticket for FAB 12 is US$750, accommodation and traffic not included, so we had to pay for the airfare, hotel and other expenses. Luckily, once you bought the ticket, the entire event was all yours. You could go to all the workshops and factory visits (pick up service included) with no extra charge. The meals would depend on the organizers. Lunches were usually provided, as for dinners, there were always parties every night so they were kind of free too. We also heard that you might sometimes get breads for lunch from the organizer.
The FAB conference was held in the Sheraton Hotel in Shenzhen, so it was very spacious and the toilets were clean.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Monday, August 8, 2016
There was a Fablab world map at the entrance to the conference, but there are too many Fablabs in the world to be included in one map, so people just added them by drawing on the map. (This map will become the cover of an upcoming book about Fablab.)
Posted by Punplace on Monday, August 8, 2016
The Event
The first day was just taking attendance. The event officially started on the second day.
Fab12 opening ~
Posted by Fablab Dynamic on Monday, August 8, 2016
The Workshops
From the second day to the fourth day, it was all releases in the morning and workshops and visits in the afternoon. There were multiple workshops in every session, so it was impossible to go to them all. You had to decide in advance which ones to go.
The workshops were classified into advanced courses, education, Fab city, humanitarianism, technology and business operation. Their contents were all related to the theme of the conference, Fablab 2.0.
Posted by Punplace on Monday, August 8, 2016
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Friday, August 12, 2016
Besides handicraft workshops, there were workshops that were purely discussions, which were more difficult because we had to discuss in English with other teammates. (Participants were divided into small groups)
Posted by Punplace on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The Visits
Besides workshops, you could also join the Makerspace and visit factories.
When you’re in Shenzhen, you have to go to Huaqiangbei. It’s 10 times the size of Guang Hua Digital Plaza there is just too much to see.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The Chaihuo Makerspace is famous in Shenzhen (because Li Keqiang was there once). It has the same owner as Seeed Studio but isn’t as big. It is used for education and exhibition purposes.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Friday, August 12, 2016
The design park co-created by China and Finland.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Fablab Shenzhen is inside the Sino-Finnish Design Park. They claim to have made the world’s first Fablab 2.0.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Friday, August 12, 2016
The Hardware Accelerator HAX was also in the itinerary.
The Exhibition
There were small-sized Maker Faires within the exhibition, showcasing their works.
Posted by Punplace on Friday, August 12, 2016
For example FBI made a Qixi lantern using laser cutter.
Posted by Punplace on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
A Fab Academy graduate showing his work.

The Forum
On Friday, the conference had switched into a forum. The entire place was moved to the nearby Civic Center. There were about 4 or 5 people sitting on stage discussing a topic. The audience could choose to sit in the audience chairs or bean bags (which are very easy to fall asleep on).
Posted by Punplace on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The core topic of the forum was without a doubt Fablab 2.0, much like Machine that Makes. There were also the Fab City oath ceremony, biotechnology, and introduction to the development of the academies, and they are Fab, Bio and Design.
Posted by Punplace on Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The Graduation
The other highlight of the conference was a graduation at the dinner party. The Fab Academy and Bio Academy graduates all received their diplomas from the founder of Fablab, Mr. Neil Gershenfeld.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Friday, August 12, 2016
The Entertainment
There were parties every night during FAB 12. In the morning, we would do “fabcise” (an exercise) led by people from different countries.
Posted by Southern Taiwan Maker Center on Monday, August 8, 2016
FAB 12 Feature Article Extended reading: FAB12 has begun! Let's march towards FABLAB 2.0