Transforming Emergency Response with Mobile Makerspaces and Healthcare Units

In times of conflict and humanitarian crisis, access to essential services such as healthcare and educational resources can become severely limited. MetaLab, CADUS and the Tolocar project are innovative initiatives that utilize mobile makerspaces and healthcare facilities to provide vital services to communities in Ukraine.

In this panel discussion, they will share their experiences and insights on the challenges and opportunities associated with utilizing mobile makerspaces and healthcare facilities in emergency response and humanitarian aid contexts. The panelists will delve into topics such as:

• The design and implementation of mobile makerspaces and healthcare facilities, and how they can be adapted to meet the specific needs of communities in crisis
• The impact of these initiatives on the communities they serve, including increased access to essential services, education, and economic opportunities
• The role of technology, innovation, and collaboration in driving the success of these initiatives
• The challenges and opportunities associated with scaling these initiatives to reach more communities in need, both domestically and internationally

MetaLab is an urban laboratory in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, that supports a socially equal, spatially comfortable, culturally rich, environmentally responsible, economically balanced city (environment). Since the Russian war in Ukraine, MetaLab has been hosting several displaced businesses, and intensified its efforts to connect businesses, local government, and civil society in Ivano-Frankivsk. The Tolocar project has been running mobile makerspaces in Ukraine since the Russian invasion. CADUS and its Ukrainian partners operate the Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Primary Healthcare units (PHC) in Eastern Ukraine, among other efforts of emergency response in Ukraine. The panelists will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussion, and will provide valuable insights into the potential of mobile makerspaces and healthcare facilities to drive positive change in crisis-affected communities beyond the war in Ukraine.