New 'makerspace' to offer 3D printers, laser cutters for sparking startup ideas

A new community workshop in southeast Calgary is opening next week in hopes of building a new generation of diverse businesses.

Fuse33 is what's called a makerspace a shared workshop with tools and equipment to build inventions or products. Different creators working in the shop can help each other develop new skills and even collaborate on projects.

This organization is hoping to be Calgary's largest community shop, managing director Maxim Schlagel said at a demonstration for the press on Friday.

"To get a space like this up and running, you need a full team firing on all cylinders all the time," he told the crowd. "And we're just about there."

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The 7,000-square-foot facility at 1720 Radisson Place S.E. will have a variety of tools, a wood shop, metal shop,industrial sewing studio, electronics lab, software library, 3D printers and laser cutters all available to book by members. Fuse33will also offer classes for people interested in learning new skills.

Being able to imagine and work on new ideas next to other people helped spark Fuse33 employee Maria Hoover's own business, she said.

She co-founded MakeFashion, which mixes technology with clothing to create, for example, dresses with skirts that light up.

"It has been really, really important for us to work out of a makerspace," Hoover said. "Thanks to that, we have been able to grow MakeFashion and have now over 100 engineers and designers and students involved and all of them collaborate to create garments."

Since launching in 2012, her fashion company has shown pieces at more than 40 international events.

'Energized local economies'

Finance Minister Joe Ceci said he hopes to see new ideas for companies come out of this large makerspace for the community of Albert Park/RadissonHeights.

"The Government of Alberta is focused on diversifying our economy and making it one in which all Albertans have the opportunity to contribute their talents and skills to building a stable economic future for our province," Ceci said.

"Energized local economies are a key component to achieving that success."

Calgary is still recovering from theoil-driven economic downturn. The city'sunemployment rate is now 7.3 per cent, down from 10.2 per cent one year ago, Statistics Canada announced this week.

A makerspace like this one helped Ashley Voisin first get into the entrepreneurial world at age 10.

With her sister, Lauren,the 14 year old now runs a company called Robots Are Fun, which makes small robotics kits for kids that teach basic electronics and circuits.

"First of all, we wouldn't have any access to any 3D printers, laser cutters, not a lot of access to wood working or metal working or cool sewing machines like that," Voisin told CBC News. "But since Fuse33 has a lot of the tools that we need to go further, it's going to be really cool."

She's worked with MakeFashion, as well, and was wearing one of the company's designs, a blue dress with a skirt that lights up.

If you'd like to check out the space, Fuse33 is holding a makers market on Saturday from 12-6 p.m.

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With files from the CBC's Colin Hall