The Organization
Position within the University
The Ruhr University Bochum is one of the leading research universities in Germany. As a reform-oriented campus university, it brings together the full spectrum of major academic disciplines in one place. The dynamic interaction between fields and academic cultures offers both researchers and students unique opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
The RUB Makerspace and its team are part of the transfer and start-up center WORLDFACTORY and thus belong to a central operating unit of Ruhr University Bochum.
Context and History
Several years ago, RUB expressed the goal of creating an innovative, transfer- and practice-oriented space as a central offering — laying the foundation for the RUB Makerspace. Its initial placement within the university administration was intended to emphasize both that it is a central service and that the initiative holds strategic importance for Ruhr University.
With this orientation, RUB follows a nationwide trend of providing makerspaces, fab labs, and similar facilities for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. At the same time, there is an effort to make this space accessible to the broader public, provided our resources allow it.
In principle, we pursue a demand-driven organizational development approach, continuously adapting and expanding the Makerspace to meet the needs of its users.
From 2023: Central Operating Unit 'WORLDFACTORY'
A clear perspective beyond the (development) project Worldfactory Start-up Center is important to the university. The decision to locate not only the RUB Makerspace and other transfer-oriented facilities of RUB at Mark 51°7, but also research buildings and comparable institutions, consistently follows the three-pillar campus development. This long-term strategic decision is intended to create synergies between technology-oriented cutting-edge research and the university’s key transfer institutions.
In autumn 2023, the project “Worldfactory Start-up Center” evolved into the transfer and start-up center WORLDFACTORY as its own Central Operating Unit, thereby becoming a permanent structure at RUB.
From 2019: Establishment of the Makerspace as part of the 'Worldfactory Start-up Center'
Since 2019, RUB has received project funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to expand its start-up activities within the framework of an 'Excellent Start-up Center.NRW'. This is currently implemented through the projects Worldfactory Start-up Center and Worldfactory International. Funding continues until the end of 2024; the Makerspace is the largest subproject of the Worldfactory Start-up Center.
To date, we have come a long way, though the journey is not yet complete. Despite the pandemic and construction-related delays, we remain optimistic that we will be able to operate the Makerspace in full by the end of the funding period. Following the state funding, the initiative is intended to be permanently supported by Ruhr University.
Until 2023, the Worldfactory Start-up Center project was administratively located within the Department for University Development and Strategy, specifically in the Transfer and Entrepreneurship Division.
From 2020: Moving into the O-Werk
Here are a few impressions from the period since our move into the so-called O-Werk at Mark 51°7 in November 2020:
Ground floor construction
Basement and staircase construction
Basement construction, view into the ceramics workshop
Delivery of the large FDM printer
Before 2019: Preliminary project 'MakerForum'
Several years ago, RUB began to realign its transfer activities. Under the “Worldfactory” label, new forms of collaboration between industry and academia, targeted support for student projects and practice-oriented teaching, as well as start-up initiatives have since been consolidated and advanced. As a first step toward a fully equipped Makerspace, the so-called MakerForum was launched as part of this effort, serving as preparation and operational testing for today’s Makerspace. It operated for several semesters in the Universitätsforum Ost — the so-called UFO — on campus.
