ISMR December 2023 / January 2024 | Page 28

FOCUS ON INNOVATION

“ BLOQS provides pay-as-you-go accessibility to a range of light industrial equipment , including metal fabrication and machining tools .”

‘ OPEN ACCESS ’

MANUFACTURING

The UK ’ s first ‘ open access ’ factory has established a blueprint that has the potential to reshape the ‘ maker ’ culture across the world .

Inside BLOQS .

BLOQS hopes to herald a manufacturing revolution in London , refining a blueprint that it believes will work for every city in the world . BLOQS is the UK ’ s first open-access factory , offering pay-as-you go accessibility to £ 1.3 million-worth of light industrial equipment . This includes wood processing and metal fabrication ; engineering mills / lathes ; CNC machining ; 3D printing and sewing machines .

The beautiful and practical space codesigned by BLOQS and 5th Studio architects has won a RIBA Regional Award 2023 , a RIBA Regional Sustainability Award 2023 and a RIBA National Award 2023 . With backing from the Mayor of London and a seat on an advisory board for MAKE UK , BLOQS is disrupting manufacturing with a “ WeWork ” model for today ’ s maker economy .
“ The partnership between the founders of BLOQS and Enfield Council has created a
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