Tour: MADE Makerspace in Barcelona, Spain

This tour of MADE Makerspace in Barcelona, Spain was my last stop of jet setting through Europe to learn about HW startup culture there.

Watch the video below to take the tour with me, or read on for details! I’d like to give a big thank-you to Oriol Fernandez of “MAking props” for taking the time to be our excellent guide.

If you missed the articles on the other stops of this European adventure, you can see the one about Berlin here, one on Warsaw, Poland here, and the piece on Kiev, Ukraine here.

MADE’s Facility

This makerspace was one of the bigger ones I’ve toured. They boast 600 sq. meters of space (which is almost 6,500 sq. ft. of space if you speak American). Inside this endless maze, you’ll find all the basic tools, fascinating projects and HW nerds you’d expect.

The Toys/Tools

One of the first things you see when you enter is a menagerie of 3D printers on display:

There was also a rack of 3D printers in the process of being modified for who knows what!

This electronics workbench is available in the front of the makerspace.

here is a separate laser room with 2 laser machines inside.

Power tools like a CNC, drills, saw, etc. were all tucked away in the dungeon-looking bit of the makerspace. This is one of the sections that will be reformed due to the very low ceilings.

The Space

There were several construction projects about to take place when I visited. Some of them aim to better utilize the massive amount of space available. Others were to reduce the inconvenience of strange architecture such as spots with super-low ceilings or sloping floors.

However, even after the renovations are finished, there will be plenty of room available. That includes private workspaces available for rent where you can leave your projects and supplies.

There was so much space, a startup could even camp-out there. Say, for example, PunchLab. This company is building an app to measure the duration and power delivered per punch to a punching bag.

I was surprised when we came upon this quiet computer work area. It almost looked like it could be the office space of a high tech startup. There are huge ceilings, lots of light with comfy chairs and desk space. There are even plants! And they’re alive! I’m amazed.

The Community

I got the feeling the community was very welcoming, friendly and helpful here. There were a lot of opportunities for people from the community to dip a toe into making with event invites, classes, and the weekly open-door tour. Plus, it looked like a lot of the current members already do a fair amount of collaboration with each other.

Read the rest at SolidSmack