TechShop and Fujitsu Partner to Empower Maker Movement

San Francisco, CA and Tokyo, Japan, December 08, 2014

TechShop, Inc., a nationwide chain of makerspaces with eight locations, Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories of America today announced the joint launch of "TechShop Inside! - Powered by Fujitsu," a mobile makerspace for students of all ages in the form of a 24-foot trailer equipped with some of TechShop's most popular building and prototyping technologies. This new initiative is based on a strategic partnership between TechShop and Fujitsu Limited that will work to empower the growing maker movement.

Driven by TechShop and Fujitsu Laboratories of America, TechShop Inside! - Powered by Fujitsu underscores a commitment to education and to increasing youth's creativity and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) through "learning by making," offering students hands-on activities and access to technologies.

"From children to teachers and other mentors, people find making things fascinating and a fun way to learn," said Mark Hatch, TechShop CEO. "When we show people how easy it is to create in a way that helps them understand the process, they become more curious, engaged and genuinely interested in learning more."

Inside the mobile makerspace are tools and equipment such as mini 3D printers, Universal Laser Systems and Fujitsu LIFEBOOK Tablet PCs, to deliver a truly integrated, hands-on environment that will foster an empowering experience at each school which "TechShop Inside! - Powered by Fujitsu" visits.

"We at Fujitsu have a deep understanding of how facilitating opportunities to make things leads to innovation," said Tango Matsumoto, corporate senior vice president of Fujitsu Limited. "The maker movement in general, and more specifically our partnership with TechShop, gives young makers the chance to have hands-on experiences that instill a personal sense of empowerment. Helping the next generation realize that they can make a difference is a vital step in addressing the world's many challenges."

TechShop Inside! will kick off its inaugural tour with an announcement at the first World Open Innovation Conference in Napa today. The unit will then travel to San Francisco to visit an after school program, where students will get their first hands on at "TechShop Inside! - Powered by Fujitsu."

"Making sure our public schools have access to the most innovative learning environments is critical for preparing our youth for college and the jobs of the 21st Century economy," said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. "This new partnership with TechShop and Fujitsu will offer students real hands-on learning and get our youth excited about STEAM education. Making sure students and educators are at the cutting edge of technology and the maker movement is one way we can build a pathway for our City's next innovators and entrepreneurs of the future."

Endorsements in Education

Bay Area educational organizations and institutions are already in discussion to bring future programming via TechShop Inside! - Powered by Fujitsu includes: Mulberry School, Brentwood Academy, Design Tech High School, Los Altos School District, SIATech, San Jose libraries, Santa Clara County libraries.

"We want all of our students to have learning opportunities where they can create and solve problems using different materials and technologies," said San Francisco Unified School District superintendent Richard A. Carranza. "When students have access to new tools and experiences in and out of school, they are more likely to find their spark. Science and math classes are increasingly becoming hands-on learning labs where students are encouraged to collaborate and innovate."

"The joint efforts of TechShop and Fujitsu demonstrate a new direction for Open Innovation in practice," said Professor Henry Chesbrough of University of California at Berkeley, the father of Open Innovation.

"They are not simply working together themselves, but creating and expanding a community of students, individuals, educators and managers, all of whom will be innovators in the world of 3D printing."

Learning institutions that would like to request a visit from TechShop Inside!, can contact techshopinside@techshop.com or go to http://my.techshop.com/inside for more info.