Maker Movement & Makerspaces in Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi-do prepared plenty of makerspace and programs in line with it to support individuals crafting, creating, making things.

A place to come together, collaborate, and access tools that a maker needs but may not have … local makers and residents are seeking out Gyeonggi-do’s makerspaces as maker culture gains popularity.

The maker culture is a movement that values people’s abilities to make or create. It is a return to a natural impulse; ever since humans began using tools, we have been making — to some extent — what we need in our daily lives. However, industrialization and mass production have depersonalized the production process. In big cities, people have commercial access to all they need. As a result, the maker movement has been empowering those individuals who enjoy crafting, creating, and making things.

 

The movement has a significant effect on education. Rather than purely theoretical, classroom lessons, making things can help students learn more effectively while making education fun. Children can use abstract knowledge in practical settings, and the movement encourages creativity rather than suppressing it.

 

Makerspaces are, as the name suggests, places that allow makers to come together, create, collaborate, learn, and explore new ideas. They can be in educational spaces, such as schools or libraries, or separate facilities. The individuals who participate can also range from kids to adults. On top of that, the projects undertaken in makerspaces can be very diverse. Some makerspaces provide tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters to help makers with their creations, but high-tech machinery is not a necessary criterion.

 

Korea, too, is observing the growth of the maker movement and there are many makerspaces available for different types of activities.

 

Gyeonggi-do Makers

Gyeonggi-do residents are also enjoying the proliferation of makerspaces and the benefits such spaces offer to local makers. Gyeonggi-do and the Gyeonggi Content Agency are collaborating closely to support the formation and development of new maker groups and promote related business models.

Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Contents Agency opened 'Bucheon Makerspace' in 2018 to spread the movement of makers.

ⓒ GYEONGGI PROVINCE

The maker movement is tied to the concept of “prosumer” (a portmanteau of the words 'provider' and 'consumer' that refers to a person who not only consumes but also produces), which is also gaining popularity. The province hopes that proper support for the movement will lead to a revival of crafts and artisanship.

 

Currently, the Gyeonggi-do maker support program backs 3 major projects:

 

Gyeonggi Master’s Handcraft Workshop

Gyeonggi-do is invested in discovering and supporting makers with outstanding skills. The goal of the project is to promote, support, and foster makers in the province and their workshops. Through this program, the province also hopes to expand opportunities for local residents to enjoy the maker movement and maker culture.

 

The project begins with 45 teams in a prestart-up phase. From among these, 15 teams will make it to the next phase in which they receive start-up support. Afterward, the teams will be matched with mentors and continue to receive support for the operation of their workshops.

 

Traveling Makers Workshop (Move Meet Make)

The second program recruits Gyeonggi makers, facilitates their visits to different areas of Gyeonggi-do and runs workshops for the local residents. The program was created to expand the Gyeonggi-do maker movement and help incentivize talented individuals to become makers themselves.

 

While the word “makerspace” refers to a confined and defined space, typically in urban areas, Gyeonggi-do believes that residents of small towns and rural areas should also benefit from the maker movement. Through this program, makers go on the road and create temporary makerspaces for residents in different locations.

 

Distribution and Sales Support

Gyeonggi-do also offers marketing and distribution consultation services to small and medium-sized workshop owners. The aim of this program is to help them establish online and offline sales channels as well as to help them with crowdfunding.

 

Through this program, Gyeonggi-do supports sustainable growth for local makers. The province offer assistance to workshops in the province that are having difficulties determining how to distribute their products.

 

Seongnam City Gachon University Makerspace

A new makerspace has been opened in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, to support bio-health developers. It is a space where makers can instantly create objects using 3D model files and the available materials. This space was created through the joint cooperation of the city and Gachon University.

 

Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi visited Makerspace in Gachon University on the 7th of July, 2020

ⓒ GYEONGGI PROVINCE

Seongnam City Gachon University Makerspace has an area of approximately 1,178 square meters, is equipped with 60 types of cutting-edge equipment, and features 19 specialized zones. It offers tools that are useful in the development of prototypes and is open to all developers in the bio-health field including businesses, citizens, students, and research institutes.

 

Seongnam City invested KRW 450 million to help supply professional equipment and materials. A 3D bioprinter that can make artificial skin and other biological tissues has been installed in the space, making it the first non-medical institution to possess such a device.

 

Gachon University, which oversees operation of the makerspace, helps start-ups in bio-health fields find support for the development of prototypes and marketing through government programs.

 

A clinical GMP (pharmaceutical certification facility) was established so that biomedical and healthcare testing/certification can be conducted within the same space.

 

The Seongnam City Gachon University Makerspace is the largest maker facility in Korea. It’s also the world's first makerspace related to the high-tech bio-health industry.