Thimphu Tech Park to have digital fabrication lab

Phub Gyem, Thimphu
Nov 9, 2016

Thimphu Tech Park will have a digital fabrication lab by June next year. Digital fabrication is a type of manufacturing process, where machines controlled by computers produce different products digitally.

Bhutanese researchers, scholars, and business communities will have access to the digital FabLab, once it comes up.

The Lab will be a community work-space and educational centre and will serve as a resource centre for students, designers, inventors and entrepreneurs.

It will enable people to design and print objects of any material including 3 dimensional objects.

“Some of the discussions I had with local people and experts indicated things like for example there could be some device, maybe ultra-sonic sound, and signals to repel wild animals or dogs from their residence or their farm land. That’s one possibility,” said Dr. Tamoaki Watanabe, the Project Associate Professor of Keio University, Japan.

He said it opens up many possibilities.

“I have heard many young people, especially in Thimphu, who are looking for jobs and businesses so maybe they can come and try to create their own businesses.”

FabLab Bhutan will establish the digital Fab lab with support from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Keio University and Copenhagen University.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology will help in professional development and supply of lab equipment.

Copenhagen University, on the other hand, will help train researchers and students through exchange programs.

JICA’s chief representative to Bhutan, Koji Yamada is also involved in the project.