Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar: Where innovation meets community. Fish Focus’ latest feature follows our trip to the Icelandic archipelago, Vestmannaeyjar.
Founded in 2008, Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar holds a special place in Iceland’s innovation landscape as the country’s very first Fab Lab. Located in the Westman Islands, the lab is directed by Frosti Gíslason and operated by the Knowledge Centre of Vestmannaeyjar, a local hub dedicated to science, innovation, education and community development.
At its core, Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar is an open workshop equipped with advanced digital fabrication tools that enable people to design and manufacture almost anything. It serves a diverse audience, including students, artists, entrepreneurs, researchers, small and medium-sized enterprises, established companies and members of the general public.
“A Fab Lab, or Fabrication Laboratory, is a space with the tools and equipment to create almost anything,” Frosti explains. “It gives people of all ages, individuals and companies alike, the opportunity to develop their creativity and bring ideas to life through digital design and manufacturing.”
Frosti’s passion for learning, teaching, and hands-on problem-solving is evident throughout the lab’s work. During visits to local factories and production facilities, he has often encountered former Fab Lab students now working in cutting-edge roles across computing, engineering and advanced manufacturing—particularly within Vestmannaeyjar’s seafood industry.
While local schools and businesses on the islands are highly supportive of sports, Frosti saw a need to create an alternative space for young people who might prefer a different kind of Friday afternoon activity. “Not every child wants to play sports,” he says. “Some want to come here and learn just about anything related to engineering, science and technology.”
In the Fab Lab, curiosity drives learning. Students are encouraged to identify everyday problems and work collaboratively to design solutions. One memorable example involved a student frustrated by uneven condiment distribution on hot dogs. Together, they designed and fabricated a device that evenly spreads tomato sauce and mustard on hot dogs.
“It may seem like a small thing,” Frosti notes, “but this is how students begin to understand how to design solutions and automate processes that make life easier, by embracing technological advancements.
That foundation often leads to bigger opportunities. Many former students have gone on to study engineering, science and technology at university, with a significant number returning to Vestmannaeyjar afterward. Thanks to technological advances in commercial fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture, supported by companies such as Laxey, high-tech jobs are increasingly available locally.
“We want to be doers in the digital future,” Frosti says. “We want to create new jobs and new opportunities. We don’t want to be passive consumers of technology, we want to be creative participants in shaping what comes next.”
This philosophy reflects a broader view of education and economic development. As society and industry undergo rapid transformation, Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar positions engineering, science and technology skills as essential foundations for innovation and competitiveness.
The lab is equipped with a wide range of computer-aided design and production tools, including laser cutters, vinyl cutters, CNC milling machines, 3D scanners, and 3D printers. It also connects local makers with experts and Fab Labs around the world, developing knowledge-sharing and global collaboration.
“Iceland’s competitiveness depends on innovation driven by knowledge and skills,” Frosti emphasises. “Fab Labs are powerful platforms for strengthening design, vocational and technical education, and for preparing people to meet new challenges.”
Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar works closely with local primary and secondary schools, as well as the wider Icelandic Fab Lab network. Through workshops, classroom collaborations and extracurricular programmes, students gain hands-on experience in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Teachers, in turn, bring new tools and methodologies back into their classrooms, extending the lab’s impact across the education system.
Beyond education, the lab actively supports local creatives and entrepreneurs. One notable collaboration involved designing refined,
Highlighted Initiatives
Distributed Design Platform
In collaboration with Creative Europe, Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar leads work on distributed design – an approach that enables local production of globally shared designs. The initiative includes maker-to-market bootcamps and year-long support programmes focused on open-source principles, eco-social value and localised manufacturing.
Island Ocean Fusion Camp (2025)
This immersive bootcamp brings together designers, scientists and artists from across Europe to explore real-world coastal challenges. By combining science, creativity, sustainability, and digital fabrication, participants co-create solutions rooted in place but informed by global knowledge.
A regional initiative uniting young people from Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Norway, this camp focused on blue economy challenges such as sustainable aquaculture, plastic pollution and coastal resilience.
Puffling Conservation Project
Blending environmental stewardship with participatory design, the lab supports citizen-led mapping of puffin behaviour. Children and community members help rescue, track and protect young puffins -known locally as “pufflings” – a tradition deeply embedded in the islands’ ecology and cultural identity.
More than a makerspace, Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar is a social, educational, and environmental catalyst. Through digital fabrication,
Once again, we would like to thank Frosti for being such a great host, infecting us with his enthusiasm and knowledge and keeping us entertained at Fab Lab and throughout our trip!
For more information visit: https://fablab.is/
Main image: Vincent Guimas, co-founder of the Fab City Grand Paris network and Frosti Gíslason, director of Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar
Images: Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar
We will be posting an article every day, covering this amazing trip and showcasing the Icelandic Seafood industry, cutting edge aquaculture, Icelandic heritage and the hospitality of the Icelandic people. You can read the whole publication here