Super Fab Lab to be highly beneficial to small business establishments, startups

Kochi: The Super Fab Lab in Kochi, started by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in collaboration with the US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will be highly beneficial to small business establishments and startups and would give an impetus to the hardware sector in the state.

The Super Fab Lab in Kochi is the first to be built by MIT outside the United States and is the second-largest in the world, a release said here on Thursday.

Super Fab Lab is a state-of-the-art lab that can manufacture machines used in fab labs. Latest and high-end machinery worth over Rs 7 crore has been set up in the 10,000 sq. ft. space at the Integrated Startup Complex in Kalamassery.

Super Fab Lab will pave the way for the growth of hardware startups and hardware companies. So far, many researchers, students, and startups have received help from the Super Fab Lab.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, face shields were manufactured and distributed through mini fab labs, the release said.

New products can be developed with the help of the Super Fab Lab without huge investments.
The Super Fab Lab has all the machinery to help startups and small entrepreneurs realize their ideas. The Lab is notable for its precision 3D scanning and printing facilities, the release added.
Multi-axis manual and CNG milling, turning, and cutting of metal is possible at the Lab. The Super Fab Lab has high-speed machines for cutting plastics and fabrics as well as facilities for the development of electronic products and equipment for their testing.

Furniture prototyping machines are also available here. Since there are many different types of 3D printers, each part of a product can be printed together in different ways.

The purpose of a Super Fab Lab is to build machines for fab labs that create market models (prototypes) based on the ideas of start-up enterprises.

Fab lab machines are currently being imported and now with the realization of the Super Fab Lab, such machines can be manufactured here. This would help in developing the fab lab ecosystem in Kerala. At present, such labs are available at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, and Integrated Startup Complex, Kochi.

In addition, there are 20 mini fab labs across the state. They support small-scale technology learning, research, and prototype development in colleges and other institutions. Students, entrepreneurs, and professional researchers can approach the Super Fab Lab on 0484- 2977137 or e-mail: fabhelp@startupmission.in to help them realize their ideas.