The 3D Makers Zone

The 3D Makers Zone is a site where we make smart products via smarter production.

We offer demonstrations, presentations, exhibition on request.

The Dutch manufacturing industry needs to catch on with the latest developments in digital fabrication. In order for this to happen, the government has started the Smart Industry program and the Smart Industry Action Agenda. The 3D Makers Zone is a site where the items on this agenda are actually applied by making smarter products via smarter production.

By combining several disruptive technologies like Internet of Things, robotics and 3D printing, the 3D Makers Zone produces new prototypes, parts and end products. Companies get the opportunity to learn to innovate as well as get fast results while requiring only modest investments rather than investing in all the hardware in house innovation in these technologies would require. Smart, fast, affordable and efficient!

New and smarter products have been created as well as produced for several critical infrastructure companies. Technical students as well as suppliers of said companies contribute to solving problems and improving the processes via hackathons, all within just days! PWN used the hackathon-method to gain several new smart products that help it in maintaining its water supply network.

Next steps are upscaling with more disruptive technologies and the combination of these. Letting more companies and their suppliers (and students) cooperate in open innovation, that way making it possible to research and innovate. Branching out to other regions and countries.

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Iskander Smit, Futures researcher, curator, strategizer at Cities of Things, posted Dec 5th

Back in November 2014, we organized the first Dutch chapter of ThingsCon in Amsterdam, after the inspiring first Berlin edition in spring 2014. After 4 years in Amsterdam, 4 in Rotterdam en 2 Covid editions, we decided to go back to Amsterdam, and also go back to Volkshotel, to mark our 10 years celebration!

Our theme for this edition: Generative Things
The inspiration for this year’s conference is the transformation of the new generative artificial intelligence in our digital lives to the physical world, the objects we use, and the places we live. What will be the physical realization of the “generative twin intelligence”? What will it mean for makers and designers of these things? How will ethics play out, and what new models of use and trust will emerge?

The program is ready. Check the latest confirmed program here. They are all inspired by this theme.

Workshops and talks
Exhibition with the best work
Specially commissioned exhibition

On the latter:
We want to create an exhibition commissioned by ThingsCon to explore the next decade of living with things. We hope to inspire designers and makers of future things. We like to explain the context of an experience that ignites debate and critical thinking by engaging our community through speculative objects and things.

Our program:
🎓 Thursday: long-form workshops for even more in-depth knowledge exchange and interacting with peers.
🎉 Thursday evening: celebrating 10 years of ThingsCon with special evening program with inspirational talks, music, and drinks
🎤 Friday: the good old mix of inspiring keynotes, short project-pitches, 2-hour workshops, exhibition, and meeting each-other.

This year, the regular price for one day is 100 eu, and the full conference pass is 175 eu. The ticket includes entrance and catering on the conference days. You are also invited to join our special Thursday evening program.

https://thingscon.org/th-ngs-2024/registration/

An-Sofie Vandecruys, Head of Communications & Marketing at Pakhuis de Zwijger, posted Sep 3rd

In the new and final Designing Cities For All: RE-generation series City Games in the Age of Urban AI DCFA fellow Ekim Tan, director of Games For Cities and founder of Play The City , explores the role of city games in the era of artificial intelligence. The first episode of City Games in the Age of Urban AI series, Digitalization, with DCFA Fellow Ekim Tan, delves into the dynamic intersection of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and urban games. We will explore how AI is transforming urban environments and the possible effects of AI on digitized and non-digitized communities. How can city games and AI foster deeper connections within increasingly digitized communities and affect collaboration in urban decisions?

Sign up for free now via the link below!

Dennis Mansell, Product Development at Fonetic, posted Aug 30th

Modern technologies can be used in various ways to make life easier. But if we’re not careful, these possibilities will mainly benefit people who already have it easy. What can technology mean for people who, for one reason or another, have a harder time in society, for example, because they are hard of hearing, have little money, or are immigrants?

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