We are GIG
Written by Melanie Chan
The Makerspace remains the heart of the ever-growing re:publica conference. While we talk about big tech and the next breakthrough, we know that nothing truly grows without a community behind it. For us this is certainly the case, with the GIG community growing over the past 12 years, bringing together tinkerers, grassroots innovators, and social change … Continue reading “The Makerspace returns to re:publica!”
Written by Ricardo Ruiz
The fashion industry has a waste problem. Every year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated globally, while garment use has decreased by 36 percent since 2000, meaning clothes are being made faster and discarded sooner than ever before. Waste is built into the process from the start, where roughly 15% of fabric used … Continue reading “Local Hubs, Global Impact: The Blueprint for a Sustainable Fashion Revolution”
Written by Nicolas Martinez
This year’s GIG week was welcomed by a very special and exciting gathering. On Sunday, May 25th, GIG members from across the world gathered at the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin for the first GIG reunion of 2025, a dynamic showcase of open, circular, and regenerative innovation that set the tone for the week ahead. Across … Continue reading “GIG Week 2025 Recap: Showcase of Open, Circular, and Regenerative Innovation”
Written by Melanie Chan
Co-hosted with Fab City Foundation, our upcoming make-a-thek community call brings together practitioners, makers, cultural organisations, and circular economy actors to explore how local ecosystems can support more circular textile practices and collective action. We will draw on two grounded examples to spark the conversation. In the Bergisches Region, Adriana Cabrera’s work builds on second-hand … Continue reading “22nd April 2026 Community Call: Towards Textile Circularity – Building Regional Impact Networks”
Written by Geraldine de Bastion
This article was originally written in German by Geraldine de Bastion for the INKOTA Network on 4th March 2026. Read the original here. In the public eye, artificial intelligence (AI) is often portrayed as a technological marvel operating in an immaterial cloud, free from physical constraints. Yet the reality in Nairobi, Kenya paints a radically … Continue reading “The Infrastructure of Power: Artificial Intelligence between Global Innovation & Structural Exploitation”
Written by Ricardo Ruiz
Together with Fashion Revolution Germany and Circular Fashion Foundation Poland, GIG hosted a make-a-thek community call that brought together library practitioners and circular fashion advocates to explore how libraries can become meeting points that connect communities around advancing circular fashion. Our speakers included Ariane Piper (Fashion Revolution Germany e.V.) and Agata A. Zgliczynska (Fundacja Mody Cyrkularnej/ Fashion Revolution … Continue reading “Collective Movement & Community Participation in Fashion Revolution”
Written by Melanie Chan
We’re excited to invite you to a special make-a-thek community call ahead of Fashion Revolution Week 2026. The meetup will bring together library practitioners, cultural institutions, and circular fashion advocates to explore how communities can be mobilized around more sustainable fashion systems. Together with Ariane Piper (Fashion Revolution Germany) and Agata Zgliczynska (Circular Fashion Foundation … Continue reading “18th March 2026 Community Call: Driving Collective Action in Libraries”
Written by Ricardo Ruiz
Global Innovation Gathering and Fab City Foundation held a community call on January 21, 2026, focused on circularity in Asian textiles and fashion. The session was part of the make-a-thek project, funded by the European Horizon Europe programme. This project establishes maker spaces in libraries across Europe, connecting local initiatives to global sustainability goals and … Continue reading “Circularity in Asian Fashion and the future of the planet”
Written by Melanie Chan
We’re excited to kick off our first community call of 2026 with a conversation on circular and regenerative fashion systems. Join makers, designers, innovators, and researchers from around the world to explore powerful approaches to sustainability in fashion and material innovation. Co-hosted by Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) and the Fab City Foundation (FCF) as part … Continue reading “21st Jan Community Call: Textile-to-textile & circular fashion in Asia”
Written by Melanie Chan
Air pollution and climate change remain urgent global challenges, yet many cities lack the environmental data needed to act. While major developed cities may have regular air-quality monitoring, many countries, especially across Africa, rely on only a handful of sensors to represent millions of residents. Meanwhile, cycling, often framed as an inexpensive solution to urban … Continue reading “senseBox:Bike: Cycling for Citizen Science and Urban Safety”
