Engineering is best learned by doing — and Ahmedabad University’s new Tinkerers’ Lab gives students the space and tools to turn ideas into reality.
The Lab, launched with support from Maker Bhavan Foundation, AIA Engineering Ltd., and Arvind Composites, is open round-the-clock and run entirely by students. It offers advanced equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics workstations, and machine tools, along with materials to build prototypes for coursework, startups, or competitions.
Students who want to turn their projects into businesses can connect directly with VentureStudio, the University’s startup incubator. The Lab will also work with IIT Madras’s LEAP programme to bring project-based learning and hands-on workshops into the curriculum.
Located in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Lab is part of the University’s focus on practical, experiential learning. Dean Prof. Sunil Kale says it gives students “the freedom to try, fail, learn, and build again.”
Industry partners have played a key role — AIA Engineering supports the initiative, and Arvind Composites built a special lightweight mezzanine floor for the Lab.
The University, recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Gujarat government and accredited ‘A’ by NAAC, is known for its interdisciplinary and research-driven approach. With the new Tinkerers’ Lab, it aims to help students move from consuming knowledge to creating it.