The JRC Makerspace, the first of its kind in an EU institution, is located at the Joint Research Centre’s Ispra site. Functioning at the interface between science and policy, the JRC makerspace is positioned as a unique space within the maker movement. It offers a direct connection with the policy realm in an open and dynamic environment. It intends to promote dialogues and exchanges of ideas with the JRC scientists and the local community.

As other makerspaces worldwide, JRC Makerspace is community-orientated space. Yet, importantly it is an engagement methodology. The JRC Makerspace is designed to promote active participation, knowledge sharing, and scientific research through open-ended exploration and experimentation. The main aim for the Makerspace is to foster citizen engagement—finding novel innovative ways to reach and understand citizen needs, as well as integrate citizen insights in policy matters of their concern.

In the JRC Makerspace approach, the concept of “tinkering” is central. In this context, the JRC Makerspace promotes engagements that move beyond discursive methods fostering hands-on approaches and material deliberation, as well as including art, crafts and creativity. The work and objectives of JRC Makerspace reinforce the value of grassroots movements as bottom-up civic engagement initiatives, as well as the importance of empowering communities to address societal issue and to co-create solutions.

Every year the JRC Makerspace promotes the JRC makers-in-residence programme (JRC MiR) centred on a specific theme. The programme awards EU makers hosting original and multi-disciplinary projects.

To support the activities of the JRC Makerspace, a decommissioned air quality monitoring van was re-purposed into a mobile Makerspace capable of transporting the equipment and hosting activities in communities and schools outside of the JRC.