At the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy at Ss. Cyril and Methodius ”opened a production laboratory  Inno Fab Lab, in which young people aged 15 to 29 will realize innovative ideas to a product-prototype with strong market potential by providing mentoring, technical-technological and business-entrepreneurial support.

Prof. Dr. Igor Jordanov, professor at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy says Inno Fab Lab is a place where creative high school and university students will work on innovative projects that will result in the development of product prototypes.

- "Challenge for establishing production laboratories FAB LABS - Young people create", is a project that starts and will provide access to modern technologies for high school students and young people. Inno Fab Lab, in a period of 12 months, will enable fifty creative high school and university students to get involved in the work of specific projects that will result in the development of at least six product prototypes, informs Professor Jordanov.

The project also received support from the US Embassy's Alumni Outreach program and several domestic companies.

The association INO TEH CLUB, CIRCO from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies got the chance to establish the first three production laboratories, which is seriously expected to strengthen the cooperation between the academic community, industry, civil society and the public sector.

The teams will be composed of 6-8 young people, and the main precondition will be at least 40% of the team members to be girls.

- The project envisages a transparent procedure for selection of six teams, whose ideas have the greatest potential for innovative product development. In the three calls, two teams will be selected and will be appointed mentor / mentors with strong professional knowledge in the field of project idea. During the four-month mentoring, in the Inno Fab Lab production laboratory the teams will have the opportunity to upgrade their technical knowledge and skills, gain experience in teamwork and learn how to develop an idea to a product-prototype, adds prof. Jordanov.