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Where ideas become reality: Austria's first makerspace turns 20
Twenty years ago, Austria's first makerspace opened its doors in a small basement in Vienna. Today, Happylab is where components for space technology, sustainable mobility, fashion, jewellery and start-ups are made. For its anniversary, Happylab puts the people and ideas behind these projects in the spotlight.
VIENNA – A small milling machine, a few tools and the idea of sharing them with others: that is how the story of Happylab began in 2006. Its two founders, Karim Jafarmadar and Roland Stelzer, were working on research projects of their own and faced a problem that many people with a good idea know: the machines they needed were hard to get access to. So they set up a small workshop in a basement in Vienna's 20th district and soon opened it to others as well.
What had no name back then was Austria's first makerspace: a place where people get access to professional machines, knowledge and a community to realise their own ideas. The small workshop has since grown into a makerspace of more than 900 m² in Vienna's Stuwerviertel. Founders work next to designers, engineers next to artists, and experienced makers next to people tinkering with an idea of their own for the first time.
From the first idea all the way to space
What can come out of this is shown by the Happylab community in great variety. Over the past 20 years, ideas have been tried out, prototypes built and products developed here. Some remained personal passion projects, others turned into companies.
The Viennese space-tech company GATE Space, for example, developed components for space technology at Happylab. TMBR Scooter builds prototypes of a modular e-scooter here, while fashion designer Cindy Fodor uses digital fabrication for her fashion. The first prototypes of Everleaf, a hydroponic indoor garden for growing vegetables and herbs without a garden or balcony, were also made at Happylab. Jewellery, accessories and unusual everyday products show how varied the ideas are that come to life with laser cutters, CNC routers, 3D printers and more.
However different the projects, they usually start with the same question: can I make this myself? For 20 years, Happylab has been the place to find out. Besides the open workshop, Happylab teaches technical and craft skills in workshops and courses, and its programmes for children and teenagers get the next generation tinkering and making, too.
Happylab celebrates its anniversary with a programme in October 2026
In October 2026, Happylab looks back on two decades of tinkering together. Since it was founded, 7,115 people have used the workshop for their projects, and the machines have run for a total of 313,966 hours.
“When we started in 2006, we could never have imagined what people would one day build in this workshop. Today, parts made here fly into space. And it makes me just as happy when someone builds something of their own for the first time,” says co-founder and managing director Roland Stelzer.
The anniversary is celebrated with a varied programme all about making things yourself: on 9 October from 5 pm, Happylab invites everyone to its anniversary party with numerous projects from the community. Until the end of October there are also free workshops on all kinds of topics, from repairing with 3D printing to ceramics, as well as the Maker Kids Days during the autumn holidays, where the next generation of makers can get hands-on too.
More information: www.happylab.at/en/20jahre
