Crisis situations quickly put conventional supply chains out of order and medical supplies become a scarce commodity. How can digital systems of micro- and distributed manufacturing help strengthen local innovation and production capacity in crisis areas? What tools can be developed so that those affected can help themselves? Questions and answers that benefit humanitarian aid and are essential in the context of a global transition to more sustainable economic models. The speakers will discuss their experiences:

CADUS has founded the world's first Crisis Response Makerspace in Berlin, which deals solely with problems of humanitarian aid and refugees. The speakers are Sebastian Jünemann, who has developed a concept for a cheap mobile hospital based on his experience in Syria and Northern Iraq with his organization, and Lissette Feliciano, a filmmaker from Puerto Rico. She experienced the political blockade of humanitarian aid after the devastating Typhoon Maria in the fall of 2017 first-hand. Together they explain why such a concept is necessary to disrupt the otherwise non-innovation friendly humanitarian relief organizations.

Bahar Kumar will talk about her experiences running a community innovation hub in Kathmandu and taking part in the latest MakerNet experiment on contract distribution, 3D printing models of earthquake-proof houses for use teaching safer building techniques to those rebuilding after the earthquake.

Susanne Long from Fieldready will report from the teams in Nepal and Syria, and the global outreach of Humanitarian Makers. Nepalese and Syrian makers visit medical practitioners in places where supplies don’t get through, they find out what is needed, and make it with support from a global network of engineers. She will look at the path to massively transforming medical supply chains to use local production capacity in post-disaster or conflict situations.

Susanne is also demonstrating her work in a workshop at the Makerspace.

supported by BMZ