Programs
Our Programs
Distributed Innovation Workshops
The Distributed Innovation series of international workshops provide participants with transformative and dynamic learning experiences in various areas of innovation and sustainability.
Fab City Full Stack Bootcamp
The Full Stack Bootcamp is a comprehensive learning experience designed to empower Fab City participants with a deep understanding of the seven layers of the Fab City Full Stack
Fab City Challenge
A unique format of collaboration that brings together local and global innovation communities to propose meaningful outcomes that respond to urgent areas of intervention in cities and regions as a driver of change.
Master in Design for Distributed Innovation
MDDI is a distributed learning program focused on the intersection of design, technology, ecosystems and communities to improve interspecies wellbeing.
Learning for long-term impact
Be part of the change by choosing from our unique educational offerings!
Our PITO-to-DIDO-driven learning ecosystem, is embodied in a global educational structure that delivers high-level education around the world, creating tangible change locally, while knowledge is transferred on a global scale.
Our Master's Alumni
Annie Ferlatte
Annie Ferlatte, a skilled architectural technician and industrial designer from Montreal, Quebec, is dedicated to advancing sustainable and forward-thinking design in her community. Through immersive learning in a full-stack program, she turned her project concepts into tangible realities, directly benefiting her community. Annie’s project tackles the shift from nature-rich outdoor spaces to indoor-focused lifestyles, highlighting the decline in sensory benefits and health risks posed by indoor air pollutants. She achieves this by applying permaculture principles to indoor environments, reintroducing diverse plants, microorganisms, fungi, and animals. The ultimate aim is a universally adaptable method that brings nature indoors, promoting well-being through local adaptability and resource awareness. From idea to execution, the fab lab was pivotal in her journey to make a meaningful real-world impact.
Victor Freundt
Victor Freundt, a pioneering industrial designer from Peru and founder of the first Fab Lab in Latin America,Fab Lab Lima in 2009 found fresh inspiration through his MDDI journey. His participation ignited the inception of the innovative Tourism Lab, where Victor combines digital fabrication skills with community development expertise. This groundbreaking initiative aims to reshape tourism by fostering collaborations and circular innovations, linking artisans, tourists, and Fab Labs. Victor’s MDDI experience showcases how knowledge can be harnessed for real-world change, echoing the values of Fab Labs and the broader Fab City movement.
Giulia Conforti Montasell
Giulia Conforti, a Catalan-born based in Frankfurt, decided to upgrade her background in policy making, to seek a deeper knowledge in technology, and look for ways to apply it to innovative projects. During MDDI, Giulia has been actively tackling the issue of food waste management in Europe. By employing fermentation biotechnology as a means to preserve food and maximise its health benefits, coupled with collaboration efforts with local markets and school communities, Giulia is designing an open collection of fermented products that not only combat food waste but also contribute to improved health and wellness. Her innovative approach is gaining recognition for its positive impact on sustainability and community engagement.
Yitang Cui
Yitang Cui, a Shanghai entrepreneur is tackling the pressing challenge of human-induced climate change head-on. With her groundbreaking initiative called 'mugu,' Yitang is inspiring urban dwellers to combat the issue of greenhouse emissions. She achieves this by teaching them to grow and enjoy mushrooms using discarded coffee grounds from the coffee sector. This ingenious approach not only minimises greenhouse emissions but also sparks a heightened awareness of climate change's urgency. Yitang's efforts exemplify a practical way to address environmental concerns, underlining the potential of individual action to drive meaningful change.
Gabriel Tavas
Gabriel Tavas, an entrepreneur with a science background in sustainable design based in Chicago, USA, joined the Master in Design for Distributed Innovation to work on one of his lifetime dream projects. Gabriel wants to build regenerative technologies to recover natural ecosystems, and that's why he has partnered with the Urban Rivers initiative to develop their master project. Together, they have successfully prototyped and implemented a bio-water filtering system using mussels in the Chicago river. This innovative application is now ready to be scaled and implemented in urban rivers around the world, and Gabriel seems to be determined to do it.
Talk to us about our educational ecosystem
Josefina Nano
Programs Lead
Scholarship opportunities for our Master in Design for Distributed Innovation
Fab City Foundation and IAAC encourage applicants to seize these funding opportunities and join the community of future changemakers at MDDI.
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Scholarship opportunities for our Master in Design for Distributed Innovation
Fab City Foundation and IAAC encourage applicants to seize these funding opportunities and join the community of future changemakers at MDDI.
Becoming a Fab City, the how
This news post provides practical ways to organise sustainable Fab Localities and communities based on the Round Tables held in Feb 2024.