OpenFab Istanbul admitted to the “European Creative Hubs Network

OpenFab Istanbul has been admitted to the European Creative Hubs Network. Founded to promote the “maker movement”, support hardware entrepreneurship, and serve in the field of education technologies, OpenFab Istanbul runs its operations as part of the OzU Center for Entrepreneurship in Özyeğin University’s new center for innovation. The ECHN membership will open new doors to the Openfab stakeholders for new collaborations with other creative sector representatives in Europe.

The European Creative Hubs Network aims to bring together creative sector communities (“hubs”) across Europe in order to create new opportunities for joint events, collaborations, and projects. The network offers a highly interactive communication platform to keep its member hubs abreast of its international events. Funded by the European Commission, the ECHN promotes the cooperation among the Europe’s leading creative sector hubs.

OpenFab’s membership in the ECHN network will increase its international recognition, while it will allow European artists, designers, and makers to use OpenFab through a practice similar to peer-2-peer exchange programs.

About OpenFab Istanbul:

Openfab Istanbul is a brand defined as the “maker movement” under the roof of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Özyeğin University. Believing that technology is for everyone, Openfab endeavors to teach individuals and organizations how applications, tools, and devices work, and demonstrate how they can be produced by everyone. OpenFab Istanbul has been operational since November 2015, and is currently serving in four main fields in alignment with its vision:

1. Makerlab
   Openfab Istanbul has a physical workshop at Özyeğin University, which accommodates cutting-edge production infrastructure with its rich machinery and experienced staff. Makerlab works not only with Özyeğin University students, but also with productive individuals and organizations at every age who are devoted to the maker movement. Makerlab also supports the maker events organized by K12 schools.
2. STEM Academy
   The STEM Academy at Openfab Istanbul offers technological training sessions, which are defined as “maker training”, on a vast array of topics from coding to 3D printers, and virtual reality to electronics, for children aged 5 or older. To date, the Academy has given maker training to a large number of students through its maker camps for high school students and daily maker training programs.
3. Master Academy
   Master Academy offers innovative technological training programs to entrepreneurial, talented, and visionary professionals from different disciplines. These programs are developed exclusively for organizations, and their content is prepared in cooperation with the respective departments based on their existing needs and expectations.
4. Hardware Entrepreneurship
   OpenFab Istanbul offered Turkey’s fist hardware accelerator program exclusively designed for hardware entrepreneurs. The program was held twice in 2016, and among 94 entrepreneurial teams that applied for the hardware acceleration program, six graduated and started their own businesses. OpenFab Istanbul has thus made an economic contribution of over 20 million TL and facilitated almost 50 design and product patents. 

For more:
http://creativehubs.eu/hub/openfab-istanbul/
http://openfab.istanbul/