ReeFab: From Experimentation to Transformation 🪸
A journey through which we support young people to grow capabilities for a resilient future and explore environmental ideas through hands-on making and real-world practice.
What does it take for a Fab Lab to become a meaningful actor in the ecological transition? Together with our project partners – Cap Sciences, ArtSquare and Municipal library of Cinisello Balsamo – we view makerspaces as living laboratories. We are actively nurturing a community where young people can grow capabilities for a resilient future and explore environmental ideas through hands-on making and real-world practice.
This shared journey began taking root during our local workshops with El Llindar, originally hosted at their makerspace and later at Fab Lab Barcelona, and it continues to blossom through a recent youth mobility in Cinisello Balsamo.
Local workshops experimentations
Over the past months, our collaboration with El Llindar foundation served as our laboratory. We ran three evolving experiments to see how digital fabrication could engage young adults in vocational training with the following environmental topics:
- Imagining futures: We learned that abstract concepts are best anchored in the present through tangible entry points.
- Prototyping scenarios: Beyond the theory, exploring the making of alternative bio-based materials and bioplastics became something the youngest could hold in their hands.
- Systems thinking: Through the Plastic Fresco and biomaterial experimentation, participants questioned the durability and scale of the materials we use daily.
The international experience in Cinisello Balsamo
In May 2026, these local insights were brought to an international stage. The ReeFab Youth Mobility in Italy allowed us to test our workshop concepts with a diverse group of participants, many of whom are navigating their own “second chance” through vocational training and internships.
Through the project, we explore the opportunities defining this generation, merging the technical skill of turning ideas into sustainable prototypes with a global mindset gained through cultural exchange. This process enriches each design and is oriented towards a shared purpose: creating tangible solutions for current environmental challenges.
Reflections from the workshops
“Learning to see waste as the beginning of a new cycle” was a key takeaway that beautifully captures the spirit of our recent exchange. Whether they were experimenting in bioplastic “cooking classes” or exploring green career opportunities with Zoe Romano, participants engaged with skills directly tailored to the 2026 labor market. For these young adults, mastering sustainability and digital fabrication is a crucial stepping stone into the workforce. Watching them receive their Youthpass certificates highlighted the profound quiet confidence this validation brings, opening doors for them to explore future opportunities within an expanding network of makerspaces.
Looking ahead
If the ReeFab experimentation phase taught us anything, it’s that circularity truly clicks when it is hands-on. These green skills have proven to be the foundation for the next generation of makers and professionals. It is deeply rewarding to support these young changemakers as they take their professional futures into their own capable hands.
Reefab doesn’t stop here! More workshops are coming up soon, partnering with two more local and national “laboratories” following our journey! Spoiler alert: you can already expect to find us at the Vulca event in Cuenca (Spain) in November 2026. We hope to see you all there!
More information about the project on www.reefab.eu
By Julia Bertolaso, May 2026
