Arrival in Italy
The MIT Fab Lab model arrives in Italy between 2011 and 2012 across several cities simultaneously, driven by three converging vectors:
- Public events such as ShareFestival Turin (October 2011) with the first Italian demo of RepRap 3D printing
- Arduino companies and community — Officine Arduino Turin (2011, Massimo Banzi et al.)
- Cultural institutions — Fondazione Mondo Digitale (Rome), Chambers of Commerce
The so-called Fablab Italia is not a single entity but an informal network with nodes in different cities.
Main Italian Fab Labs
Turin — capital of the Italian movement:
- Officine Arduino Turin (2011) — at Toolbox Coworking, led by Enrico Bassi
- Fablab Torino (since 2012) — reference community, among the most active in Europe
- Casa Jasmina (2014, Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tešanović) — open home automation
Milan:
- Opendot (2014) — professional Fablab tied to studio Dotdotdot
- WeMake (Milan, 2014) — accessibility and inclusion
- Polifactory of Politecnico di Milano
Rome:
- Fablab Roma Makers — historic community
- TIM #WCAP Rome — corporate incubator
Reggio Emilia:
- Fablab Reggio Emilia — Reggio educational tradition and pedagogical innovation
Venice:
- Fablab Venezia — linked to Università Ca’ Foscari
Activity lines
Italian Fab Labs have adapted the MIT model to local specificities:
- Education — workshops for schools, Arduino/3D printing courses for adults
- Industrial prototyping — services for SMEs (often local manufacturing)
- Social innovation — projects for disability, elderly, third sector
- Cultural heritage — 3D scanning for museums, artefact reproduction
- Open design — accessible kits (chairs, toys, prosthetics, home automation)
Network and recognition
Italian Fab Labs organise themselves since 2013 into Fab Lab Italia (informal network), with membership in the Fab Foundation and participation at International Fab Labs Conferences. Institutional recognition:
- Mentions in regional plans (Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy)
- PON Smart Cities funding (2015-2020) for some hubs
- Integration with the National Smart Specialisation Strategy
- Collaborations with Piano Industria 4.0 (2017+)
Evolution post-2020
After Maker Media USA’s closure (2019) and the COVID-19 pandemic, many Italian Fab Labs restructured:
- Shift toward corporate training and manufacturing consulting
- Sector specialisation (biology, agriculture, fashion, health)
- Strong ties with Maker Faire Rome, Innovation Village, SMAU
Connection with noze
noze has recurring collaborations with Italian Fab Labs for R&D prototyping: 3D printing of enclosures for IoT devices and medical devices, laser cutting for panels and physical UIs, CNC milling for sensor mounts. Fab Labs represent a logistical complement to noze’s tech ecosystem for projects requiring small-batch physical production without engaging industrial suppliers.
References: Fab Lab Italia (informal network since 2011-2013). Officine Arduino Torino (2011, Massimo Banzi, Enrico Bassi). Fablab Torino, Opendot Milan, Casa Jasmina, WeMake, Fablab Reggio Emilia, Fablab Roma Makers. Fab Foundation. International Fab Labs Conference.