Lili’s Proto Lab (LPL), named after the legendary technologist Caroline Emilie Bleeker is a brand new maker space at the Science faculty for turning creative ideas into working prototypes. From 3D printing and laser cutting to microfluidics and robotics, in the LPL you get to practice various prototyping methods and operate these tools. The LPL mentoring program helps your team in managing your prototyping process and brings you in touch with experts from across all disciplines at the Science faculty. Our ambition is to build a community of all those creative and enthusiastic people who like to learn by doing and all those who are willing to support them. By organizing training and mentoring projects, we support students, researchers, and student teams, in their challenge-based projects. We support projects from all UU strategic areas of fundamental science, education, open science, and sustainability.

At the Science Faculty Day 2022, we gave participants a sneak preview of the proto lab, and they made their own wooden flower pots.

The funding for the proto lab is granted by the UU Science Faculty to a proposal from Pauline Krijgsheld and myself. Lennart Herlaar and Jacob Seifert have joined us from January to plan, procure, and prepare for the opening of Lili’s proto lab to students and staff of the Science Faculty and to great new projects and hardware challenges.