An inquiry into Fab Labs as enablers for environmental protection initiatives

Fab Labs are small-scale workshops offering digital fabrication at different scales. These spaces are known for fostering learning in technological and manufacturing skills as well as offering services, with a collaborative mindset. In this paper, we explore an unexplored growing trend within Fab Labs: their involvement in participatory approaches and their thematic focus on environmentally related activities. Although recent research has highlighted their increasing focus on sustainability aspects of their activities, such as investigation connected to lifecycle assessment analysis and environmental impact of selected machinery, their role in cultivating environmentally conscious communities and catalyzing collaborative practices such as citizen science in environmental initiatives warrants further exploration. This paper investigates the capacity of Fab Labs as enablers of environmental protection in collaboration with citizen science initiatives, and other key actors, such as environmental agencies, NGOs and local government, by collecting data on those cases via literature review and interviews, and analyzing real-world cases from the global Fab Lab Network. The work  aims to highlight the potential of Fab Labs as enablers for environmental action and, by showcasing inspiring initiatives, we aspire to enhance the recognition of Fab Labs as environments for citizen-driven environmental protection efforts, fostering broader participation and impactful change.