Maker Cities Meetup: Singapore

Singapore:City for Makers

Maker City Meetup 6 Apr 2014 Shenzhen

William Hooiwilliam@sgmakers.com

Sunday, 6 April, 14

First Maker Event

• First Mini Maker Faire in 2012

• Organized by the Science Centre Singapore in conjunction with the Singapore Science Festival

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Meetups

• Jan 2013 at HackerspaceSG (25 in attendance)

• Feb 2014 at Home-Fix HQ (200 in attendance)

(source: Funbiestdios)

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Maker-friendly Spaces

Sunday, 6 April, 14

What makes Singapore unique?

• Bringing back ‘Kampung’ (village) spirit

• Using technology to draw out the humanity in all of us

(source: SL2)

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Some differences..

• Garage culture vs kampung innovation

• Top-down vs ground-up community

• Open sharing vs ‘kiasu’ mentality (about ideas copied by someone else)

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Making in the open(source: SL2)

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Ground-up innovators

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Hurdles

• No full public-access makerspace

• Makers perceived as DIY hobbyists

• Cost of rental

• Restrictions by local authorities

• Sticky about IP

(source: Techinasia)Sunday, 6 April, 14

What we may be seeing in the next few years..

• Making = hacking

• More ground-up hardware start-up

• More engagement with policy-makers

• Strangers to Makers to Fans to Founders

Sunday, 6 April, 14

Thank you!

william@sgmakers.com

Sunday, 6 April, 14