The participating teams have gathered on the two islands for the final test of this technological campus and to test their designs in a real environment.

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Tecnoestiu 2023

The solar boats built by the young participants of Tecnoestiu 2023 in Menorca and Eivissa were successfully launched on 27 July. The event took place in the facilities of the Hotel Twiins in Platja d’en Bossa, Eivissa, and outside the FabLab of the CentreBit Menorca in Alaior. Six teams of young people have developed and built different types of solar-powered craft, including boats and hovercraft.

Tecnoestiu 2023 is an initiative organised by the Xarxa de FabLabs and promoted by the Fundació Bity and Eivissa Town Council, with the support of the Direcció General de Recerca, Innovació i Transformació Digital. The programme, conceived and designed by a team of experts led by Bartomeu Alorda Ladaria, a researcher at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), was carried out from 3 to 21 July with the aim of training and bringing young people closer to the digital manufacturing methodologies and techniques of FabLabs, with a special focus on 3D design and printing, electronic prototyping and programming of digital electronic systems.

On this final day, the prototypes’ buoyancy, handling and solar charging capacity were tested, as one of the fundamental requirements of this nautical challenge was using solar panels on the boats. In Eivissa, Bartomeu Alorda accompanied the participants in the final adjustments, and also on this last day the councillor for innovation, Rubén Sousa, was present to officialise the successful launching of the boats resulting from the activity.

This exciting adventure, in which 32 young people took part, was carried out at the FabLab facilities in Eivissa, in the Districte07800, and at CentreBit Menorca, where the participants organised themselves into teams and took on the challenge of building solar-powered electric boats. Through the application of active learning methodologies and the “learning by doing” approach, the young people were able to tackle subjects such as programming with Arduino, solar electronics, electronic prototyping and 3D modelling, among others, encouraging learning based on experimentation and the development of the skills needed to face this technological challenge.

The solar boat built by the young participants has not only allowed them to acquire knowledge and skills in 3D printing, electronics and communications but has also guided them and raised their awareness about the efficient use of energy, as these boats have been designed to run exclusively on solar energy.

Furthermore, with Tecnoestiu 2023, the young participants have had the opportunity to develop essential skills for the digital future, explore the potential of digital fabrication and foster their creativity and critical thinking.

The Tecnoestiu 2023 programme has proved to be a resounding success, with enthusiastic participation from the young people of the Balearic Islands, who have demonstrated their passion for technology and their commitment to a sustainable and innovative future. The Xarxa de FabLabs and Fundació Bit continue their commitment to creating growth and learning opportunities for young people, turning FabLabs into spaces that transform society.

This initiative, completely free of charge for these young participants, is part of the commission of the Directorate General of Research, Innovation and Digital Transformation to the Fundació Bit, and has had the participation of the City Council of Eivissa and the CentreBit Menorca; the training direction of the UIB, and the collaboration of the Consell Insular de Menorca.