Maker initiative launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Published at: September 19th 2024
Many are the positive examples of maker activities that have helped address urgent problems worldwide in the past. One such example is the production of protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the establishment of the global e-NABLE community of digital volunteers who use 3D printers to create affordable upper limb prosthetics. Although present in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), their recognition and impact on economic development have unfortunately not been adequately acknowledged, both by the legal system and the broader public in BiH.
In order to establish a maker community in BiH and address the problem of their fragmentation and individualistic approach, a maker initiative was launched in October 2021 by the leading makerspace in BiH, FabLab BiH, through the project 'Maker Movement Establishing in BiH and Strengthening in the Visegrad Region, 2021 - 2022,' with the support of the Visegrad Fund and in partnership with organizations and experts from the Visegrad Group: Robisz To Association (Poland), FabLab Budapest (Hungary), AGNICOLI (Slovakia), and Make more (Czech Republic). Among its goals, the maker initiative aims to democratize innovation and production by encouraging makers and other interested parties to use new technologies for exchanging ideas, developing prototypes, and producing products at the local level. In this way, it aims to actively participate in addressing national challenges such as high youth unemployment rates, skills shortages, and a poor business environment.
Among the series of activities within the aforementioned project that marked the past and will attract the attention of the broader public in the future, highlights include the establishment of the maker.ba platform, training sessions conducted with project partners, and the announcement of a conference on the maker initiative in early March 2022.
"The project will result in the establishment of a maker community in BiH, which I am confident will stimulate the development of the entrepreneurial scene, innovation, additional education, employment, and the connection of makers with local and international contacts. What is currently perhaps the greatest challenge is the unrecognized role of makers in the laws of both entities, as formal recognition of their critical role in the economy of BiH is crucial for their operations, including access to investments and finances. We call upon lawmakers, in coordination with the Maker Community of BiH, to actively support and strengthen their network and activities." Edin Škaljić, Director of Fabab BiH.