UNAH_1

Prototyping Labs: National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH)

Area

Supporting the transition towards regenerative and productive urban environments

Type of Project

Custom executive training and advisory program

The Goal

Amid digital transformation and the climate emergency, UNAH is advancing the Program in Design and Technological Innovation for Entrepreneurs (PRODITE) to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Comayagüela. 

This case study outlines how, together with Fab Lab Barcelona, we designed and delivered a training and advisory track for leadership and faculty, focused on:

  • Activating a new Fab Lab as a driver of open innovation, hands-on learning, and creative entrepreneurship.
  • Aligning the laboratory’s operations with the Fab City model (productive, circular, and distributed cities).
  • Building local capabilities through a train‑the‑trainers program and applied consultancy.

Our Approach

Fab Lab Barcelona combine experiential learning, strategic advisory, and connections to global networks through the Adopt–Adapt–Create methodology: 

  • Adopt: immersion in the values, projects, and operations of Fab Lab Barcelona, and in the Fab City vision.
  • Adapt: localization of practices, resource mapping, and definition of priorities for Comayagüela.
  • Create: design of a roadmap and pilot programs for UNAH’s Fab Lab and the broader PRODITE ecosystem.

Format and timeline

  • In‑person/hybrid modules (Barcelona): 1–4 September 2025.
  • Remote support: 15 September–15 December 2025 (40 hours combining live sessions and asynchronous work).

Our Contribution

Tailored training and consultancy track for UNAH (PRODITE): 

M1. Fab Lab foundations: the Fab Lab Barcelona model. Operations, roles, workflows, and governance. Guided visits to facilities/equipment and to the local maker ecosystem.

M2. Fab City vision: building productive urban ecosystems. Circular models, R&D cases, and articulation with public and community spaces. 

M3. Fab City Blueprint: visualizing productive regions. From centralized consumption to distributed production: analysis, cases, and hands‑on mapping of local resources/actors and challenges.

M4. Paradigms of future learning: educational innovation. Integrating project‑based learning and digital fabrication into curricula and educational offerings.

M5. Implementation support. Online advisory to adapt methodologies and technologies to the Comayagüela context; troubleshooting operational and programmatic challenges.

Network connections
Peer exchanges with Fab Labs and stakeholders across Ibero‑America and LATAM to share collaboration models, success cases, and peer‑to‑peer learning.

Impact

  • Strengthened institutional capabilities for the strategic and operational management of UNAH’s new Fab Lab and for scaling PRODITE.
  • Fab City roadmap oriented toward a productive region, with a mapping of actors, resources, and opportunities in Comayagüela.
  • Methodology transfer (experiential learning and projects) into academic plans and creative entrepreneurship activities.
  • Insertion into global networks (Fab Labs / Fab City) for ongoing collaboration and access to open knowledge.
  • Sustainability and impact: foundation to incubate local initiatives, value‑added services (prototyping, advisory), and partnerships with the public and private sectors.

Project Team

  • Fab Lab Barcelona (IAAC) – Direction and facilitation of content, consultancy, and network connection:
    • Guillem Camprodon – Executive Director
    • Milena Juarez – Local Communities Expert
    • Santiago Fuentemilla – Future Learning Lead
    • Julia Leirado – Future Learning Expert
    • Shyam Zonca – Director of Laboratories (IAAC Lab)
    • Adriana Cabrera.
    • Chiara Dall’Olio – Programme Coordinator

UNAH (Honduras)
Multidisciplinary team for PRODITE implementation and Fab Lab management (academic leadership, coordination, engineering, digital fabrication technologies, and computer‑aided design): institutional leadership and liaisons in innovation, learning, and technology transfer.

Who is it for??

  • Public administrations and government seeking to catalyze innovation, sustainability, and local resilience through digital fabrication laboratories.
  • Universities and educational centers interested in integrating digital fabrication and open methodologies into curricula and infrastructure.
  • Maker/Fab Lab ecosystems in deployment or consolidation phases that need strategy, governance, and impact models aligned with Fab City.

Partners

Let’s prototype the future together

Would you like to bring this program to your institution or territory? We tailor training and consultancy to your context.

Contact
Noel Criado – Strategic Partnerships
[email protected]

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