openPR Logo
Press release

Fab Foundation to Establish Global Headquarters in Kendall Square, Cambridge

07-02-2024 09:18 AM CET | Science & Education

Press release from: The Fab Foundation

Welcoming the global Fab Lab Network during the headquarters announcement

Welcoming the global Fab Lab Network during the headquarters announcement

The Fab Foundation proudly announces the establishment of its global headquarters and flagship Fab Lab in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. A pioneering partnership with BXP, the development of this new community resource marks a historic milestone for Cambridge, the Greater Boston area, and the Fab Lab Network.

Located at 325 Main Street in Kendall Square, the new headquarters will be a living laboratory, providing access to state-of-the-art tools for technology innovation to a diverse Cambridge community, developing and deploying best practices in digital fabrication throughout the region, and coordinating global programs across the network.

"BXP has dedicated this valuable central space to the Fab Foundation as a social impact commitment to Cambridge and the Kendall Square community," states Bryan Koop, Executive Vice President for BXP's Boston region. "This project serves as a pilot, demonstrating new ways for developers to meet the needs of the communities in which they work."

For 15 years, the Fab Foundation, a Boston-based educational nonprofit, has served as steward of the international Fab Lab Network. Begun as an outreach project from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms to expand access to advanced manufacturing in underserved communities, the network has grown to include more than 2,700 Fab Labs in 135 countries. These digital fabrication laboratories are sites for STEM outreach, hands-on technical training, business incubation, and advancing sustainability commitments.

"From their local origin, Fab Labs have spread virally around the world," says Neil Gershenfeld, Director of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms and Chairman of the Fab Foundation's Board. "We're thrilled to now have this opportunity to help lead the next phase of the revolution, asking how we'll live, learn, work, and play if anyone can make (almost) anything, anywhere."

The facility will include a full-featured Fab Lab with tools for rapid-prototyping and short-run production of functional systems; a storefront selling products designed by the global network and produced locally; an event space for classes, talks, workshops, demonstrations, and collaborations; and the Fab Foundation's headquarters, providing a front-office portal and back-office support for the Fab Lab Network.

From the Kendall Square hub, it will be possible to participate in distributed hands-on education programs through the Fab Lab network's Academany platform. This includes such courses as the Fab Academy (joining counterparts from 100 countries) for digital fabrication, Fabricademy for textile technologies, Bio Academy for biotechnology, and Fab All-In for the promotion of access and inclusion. The site will also serve as a hub for Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston's participation in the Fab City global initiative, a 40-year countdown to urban self-sufficiency.

"We serve both our global and local communities in the same way, by providing access to resources that will support education, social impact, and economic development, especially for those who have been historically excluded," explains Sherry Lassiter, President and CEO of the Fab Foundation. "We are so very excited to be working with BXP, the Kendall Square Association, and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority to add to their great community work, bringing access to advanced technical tools, STEM education, and new economic opportunities relevant to the 21st-century economy directly to Cambridge."

CALL TO ACTION: Learn more or get involved at fabfoundation.org/hq


BXP (NYSE: BXP) is the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of premier workplaces in the United States, concentrated in six dynamic gateway markets - Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. BXP has delivered places that power progress for our clients and communities for more than 50 years. BXP is a fully integrated real estate company, organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT). As of March 31, 2024, including properties owned by unconsolidated joint ventures, BXP's portfolio totaled 53.5 million square feet and 187 properties, including 11 properties under construction/redevelopment. For more information about BXP, please visit www.bxp.com, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

The Fab Foundation is a U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that emerged from MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms. The Fab Foundation's mission is to provide access to the tools, knowledge, and means to educate, innovate, and invent using technology and digital fabrication to allow anyone to make (almost) anything, thereby creating new pathways to economic opportunity. The Fab Foundation is a global steward of the Fab Lab Network, a community of more than 2,700 technical learning and innovation spaces in more than 135 countries.

50 Milk St., 16th Fl
Boston, MA 02109 USA

Founded in 2009 to provide educational outreach for MIT's Center for Bits & Atoms (CBA), the Fab Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to regional capacity-building and growth of the international Fab Lab Network. We believe in the transformative power of education, technology, and advanced manufacturing to build equitable, inclusive, and sustainable futures for all members of our global society. We promote radical collaboration in the exploration of digital fabrication solutions, empowering communities to address local needs and shared global challenges. We work to democratize access to the tools and knowledge that allow anyone, anywhere to make (almost) anything. We build the infrastructure for grassroots innovation.

This release was published on openPR.

Permanent link to this press release:

Copy
Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.

You can edit or delete your press release Fab Foundation to Establish Global Headquarters in Kendall Square, Cambridge here

News-ID: 3560623 • Views:

More Releases from The Fab Foundation

Fab Foundation Marks Milestone Entering Third Decade of FABx Digital Fabrication Conference
Fab Foundation Marks Milestone Entering Third Decade of FABx Digital Fabrication …
Since 2005, the annual international Fab Lab Conference & Symposium-FABx-has been the biggest digital fabrication conference in the world, gathering an average of nearly 900 participants from more than 50 different countries for a week of engaging discussions and activities. Co-hosted by The Fab Foundation, the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT, and a local host, the conference takes place in a different part of the world every year.
The Fab Foundation Celebrates Fab Month
The Fab Foundation Celebrates Fab Month
In April, 2024, the Fab Foundation hosted its first annual Fab Month, a celebration of the people, places, and projects at the heart of the international Fab Lab Network. Over the course of the month, hundreds of community members from more than 50 countries came together for a series of nine online sessions celebrating the network's ongoing accomplishments and exploring the breadth of its global programs and initiatives. The following programs

More Releases for Lab

Medical Lab Software
Latest Research Study on Medical Lab Software Market published by AMA, offers a detailed overview of the factors influencing the global business scope. Market research report shows the latest market insights with upcoming trends and breakdown of the products and services. The report provides key statistics on the market status, size, share, growth factors, Challenges and Current Scenario Analysis of the Medical Lab Software. Major Players in This Report
Global Lab Accessories Market
Global lab accessories market was valued US$ 378.2 Mn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 687.5 Mn by 2026, at a CAGR of 7.76% during a forecast period. The lab accessories market is segmented into type, end-user, and region. In terms of type, global lab accessories market is classified into microplates, label printers, pipettes, pumps, reagent reservoirs, valves, tubings, and wash stations. Based on an end-user, global lab accessories market is
Electronic Lab Notebook Market: Electronic Lab Notebook Market Industry Analysis …
Electronic lab notebooks (ELN) is a computer programmed electronic device, which is capable of storing the data related to the lab experiments or researches. In addition, it enables the user to access the stored data for future reference and data sharing with other users. It is not only a replacement of laboratory paper notebook but also helps in the management of data in an orderly manner and provides security. Electronic
Lab Automation Market Raving Up The Demand Of Lab Automation In Various Applicat …
Laboratory automation capitalizes and optimizes the technologies in the laboratory. Laboratory automation system includes automated lab instruments, software and devices which offer benefits such as reduction of cycle time, increasing productivity, improvement of workflow coverage and improvement of data quality. The laboratory automation or robotic products are offered in modified form, according to the necessity of specific laboratories or researcher. Therefore, lab automation becomes essential in laboratories for handling high
Global Lab Automation Industry
Global Lab Automation Industry Latest Report on Lab Automation Market Global Analysis & 2021 Forecast Research Study Lab Automation Market Analysis Automation is one of the best weapon in the life science laboratory due to the growing demands for productivity in speed, accuracy, throughput and efficiency. Helped by advance technology, contemporary automated systems are already adept of a wide range of functions that were previously performed by slow, tedious and manual labor. Instrumentation
What are the Do’s and Don’ts for Wet Lab & Dry Lab Users
Advances in laboratory research keep accelerating with new techniques and technologies changing the way laboratory researchers perform experiments and make discoveries. These changes have made it more important than ever for lab architects and lab managers to keep flexibility in mind when planning new laboratory construction or renovations. Major advances in the capabilities of scientific lab equipment, digital computing, and experimental research methods and techniques have had a significant impact on