With 15 Makerspaces and 5 classroom education focused labs (see the Taipei Maker’s Map for a evolving list), Taipei has a rapidly growing Maker culture, but still maintains a highly traditional educational system.
However, that may be changing. During FAN2, the FabLab Asia Network‘s 2nd week-long conference that cumulated in Maker Faire Taipei, Taiwan’s Premier, Mao Chi-ku, announced that the Maker Movement has become an international trend and launched a three-month “vMaker” (v for victory) innovation competition to take place at the Taiwan Air Force (TAF) innovation base (former site of the ROC Air Force Headquarters).
I had the great honor of being formally introduced to Premier Mao Chi-kuo at the vMaker Launch!
The ROC government extends full support to the maker movement, as innovation is a major source for future industrial development. To take to DIY is to actualize one’s creativity, Mao noted. – The Executive Yuan
vMaker Launch Party and Snippets of FAN2
Premier Mao Chi-kuo at the vMaker Launch.
Traveling “Fab Trucks” have already been touring the nation’s schools to give students hands-on access to 3D printing equipment. Here’s a bit from FAN2 and the vMaker launch party. Watch for more photos in the upcoming post for the Taipei Maker Faire.
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- Fab Trucks headed to schools around Taiwan.
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- Big crowd around the Fab Trucks for more speeches and demos.
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- Anna Kaziunas France meets Taiwan’s Prime Minister!
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- The current state of the Taiwan Air Force (TAF) innovation base (former site of the ROC Air Force Headquarters).
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- They brought out the band for the vMaker announcement!
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- Getting set up for the 2015 vMaker press conference.
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- Jean-Michel Molenaar presenting on the new “Academy of Almost Anything” course HTGAA: How to Grow Almost Anything in personal genomics and biohacking.
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- FAN2 Presentations.
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- Outside the Taiwan Air Force (TAF) innovation base gates.
Next Stop: Maker Faire Taipei!
