15-19 April, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
In April, 10 young people from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway gathered in Vestmannaeyjar for the North Atlantic Youth Blue Innovation Camp. For five intense days, the local fab lab was an epicentre of young creativity and innovation. The event, for young people from the NORA area between the ages of 18 and 30, focused on exploring new ideas and solutions for the blue economy.
While in Vestmannaeyjar, participants visited a number of maritime-related businesses, where they saw first-hand the challenges and opportunities facing small coastal communities, resulting in a deeper understanding of the complexity of the local blue economy.
As part of the North Atlantic Youth Blue Innovation Camp, participants were presented with scenarios that asked them to address critical issues related to the blue economy. They were divided into two groups, and each was given a topic to work on:
- Sustainable ocean food and sustainable new ocean industries
- Coastal resilience, social innovation and local communities
The first group came up with a project titled Atlantic Ocean Bloom, which proposed collecting and processing waste from fish farms to create a product that could be used to improve the environment in more nutrient-poor marine areas. The other group came up with Coast Care, an app that aims to inspire beach clean-ups using a range of motivational schemes and rewards.
The guiding idea for the event was the methodology behind distributed design, a collaborative approach to complex challenges in which each participant contributes to the solution. All participants actively contributed, engaging in dynamic discussions and practical workshops where ideas were stress-tested and adjusted based on the outcomes. Their work clearly showed that their visits to firms in Vestmannaeyjar had made an impression, and that they had taken their mentors’ advice into consideration. The high quality of the projects makes it likely they can be taken further.
Participants came away from the innovation camp first and foremost with new skills, but they also established a close network and valuable friendships that span geographical and cultural boundaries. The experience from the event underscored for them that the challenges facing coastal communities are global and cannot be solved in isolation—and that we are all responsible for making the blue economy thrive.
Fab Lab Vestmannaeyar
Established in 2008 as Iceland’s first Fab Lab.
A Fab Lab (short for fabrication laboratory) is a high-tech workshop equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines and other computerised tools. The idea is to offer a space where people can design, create prototypes and manufacture a wide range of innovative and personal creations.
Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar runs educational programmes for primary and secondary schools, and it is involved in social-innovation and development projects related to the blue economy. Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar is an active member of the Fab Lab Iceland Network, the Nordic Fab Lab Network and the global Fab Lab Network.
Read more about the North Atlantic Youth Blue Innovation Camp here.
(Photos: Frosti Gíslason / Fab Lab Vestmannaeyar. Photos may not be used or shared without the express consent of NORA. If you are interested in using the photos, please contact us.)
Created with the help of AI, this podcast captures the experience and insights from the innovation lab in Vestmannaeyjar.
