Fujitsu Limited and TechShop, Inc., an operator of eight membership-based, open-access DIY workshops and fabrication studios around the US⁽¹⁾, announce that today they have established TechShop Japan Limited and revealed details on location and timing of the first facility of its kind in Asia.

A driving force behind the maker movement⁽²⁾, TechShop is a membership-based, open-access DIY workshop, equipped with professional-quality laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, and metal and woodworking tools, making it easy for people to give form to their ideas. It also acts as an innovation hub, bringing together companies, ranging from startups to major corporations, as well as entrepreneurs, creators, students, investors, and local communities to engage and interact.

TechShop Tokyo, slated to open in the Ark Mori building in Minato-ku in early 2016, will be the first TechShop location to open in Asia.  This is the outcome of a strategic partnership between TechShop and Fujitsu, aimed at promoting the maker movement.

This location will utilize professional-quality tools and the latest information and communication technology (ICT) in an expansive facility. It aims to create an open, community-based ecosystem where members can collaborate to refine their ideas and pursue their business goals.

Reason for Establishing TechShop Japan

Fujitsu and TechShop, having a common vision of a society in which diverse people share knowledge and expand their imaginations to make new things, began a strategic partnership in 2014. The two companies are now taking this partnership a step further by establishing TechShop Japan, which aims to help create new projects and to support and expand businesses in Japan through open innovation.