Femke and Lowie started their business as students: “At FabLab, the motto is: Try it. If it doesn’t work, try again.”

What does a makerspace actually do to the people who pass through it? We’re starting a series of interviews to find out. First up: two former student workers who met at FabLab Leuven and now run a business together. This is the first in a series of interviews with FabLab Leuven users. No PR, just an honest attempt to understand what a place like this does to people — in their own words. Next month: another conversation, another path.

Femke Maris (25) and Lowie Goossens (26) met each other in Fablab Leuven, where they worked as students for several years. They have since started a business together: Lofenix. In 2021, less than a year after founding their company, they won the Audience Award at the LE(J)ON Award for young entrepreneurs in Leuven under their former name STEM Support. Aside from that, Femke teaches STEM and math at a high school and Lowie works as an engineer in the steel industry.

What originally brought you to FabLab Leuven?

Femke: I attended one of the first summer camps myself. I studied STEM in school. Since we didn’t have the materials, we’d sometimes come to FabLab, which is how everyone got to know me again. I was then asked if I wanted to lead summer camps. I started working at FabLab as a volunteer and student worker when I was 16. When I continued my studies in Leuven, I also started working here throughout the year.

Lowie: I ended up at FabLab as a civil engineering undergraduate. I used to come here often for school projects, but also for other smaller projects. With the things available here, there were plenty of opportunities to work on cool projects. I came here because of my studies, but I actually spent more time at FabLab in my free time than I did to work on my school projects.

What were your first projects?

Femke: For me, it was the summer camps. I helped the kids make things like keychains, clocks, and their own 3D projects. Since I had attended the camp myself and visited FabLab with my school, I was already familiar with the materials. I also came by every so often for my own little projects.

Lowie: My first projects were P01 and P02, the project courses in the civil engineering program. We were assigned to straighten a steel tube using Lego and to build a machine that shoots ping-pong balls. The parts I designed for that, I laser-cut at FabLab.

What surprised you most about that experience?

Lowie: Basically anything was possible. That’s what surprised me the most. You had to come up with your own ideas, but then whatever you came up with could be printed or made, and they gave you advice. In that way, FabLab opened up a whole world of possibilities.

Femke: That’s true. Even now, when I run into a small problem in my daily life, I sometimes just send a message and then it turns out there’s a 3D print for it. So then you just have to print it and your problem is solved. A small example: I was bothered by the trash bag rolls in my cupboard. I’m someone who likes things to be organized. I can’t stand it when everything’s a mess. So I went looking and found a 3D design for holders in which you can place those rolls. I printed them, and now, when I open my cabinet, my three rolls of trash bags are neatly sitting there, instead of me having to search for them through the mess.

Lowie: We have a lot of those things. For example, we also have a special soap dish and an organically designed coaster for plants.

Did FabLab change the way you think?

Femke: It opens up new perspectives. By spending so much time at FabLab, you start looking at solutions differently. Even in everyday life. You begin to think outside the box. There has to be a solution, whether it’s with the laser cutter or with a 3D printer.

Lowie: Yes, it actually opened up “the box”. Whereas you’d normally get stuck in your ideas because something isn’t possible, FabLab is the opposite. You get there and you’re presented with possibilities. No one’s going to tell you you have to do it, but you get the chance to do it if you want to.

Femke: At FabLab, the motto is: Try it. If it doesn’t work, try again. That means you never have to be afraid to come up with an idea. You can always try.Sometimes it really doesn’t work and you hit a wall. Or it works, but just needs a few tweaks. The great thing about FabLab is: it’s like getting a big box of Legos, toys you can use to combine different things into a big, new thing.

Has FabLab made a difference in your professional life and the path you’ve taken?

Lowie: Yes, I graduated with a civil engineering degree in computer science. The typical career path for someone with that background is to work for large software companies or organizations that focus purely on software. Not me, I went in a more practical direction and ended up in the heavy metal industry. The experience at FabLab comes in handy there, especially the project-based thinking and the method of approach. The experience with identifying problems is also super important to me. Finding the root cause of a problem and looking at it broadly to come to a suitable solution.

Femke: FabLab empowers you to actually do things. I’m a math teacher, but I don’t just teach math. I also share 3D drawing insights and encourage them to think out-of-the-box. I often develop new materials for my lessons. When I teach solid geometry, for example, I bring a 3D-printed or laser-cut model that I made myself. That way, my students see that you can really just do it yourself. I also try to share with them what FabLab has taught me: that it’s okay to make mistakes. You can only learn from them. Sometimes you even have to dare to make mistakes to know what can be improved. I also teach them not to give up so easily. I notice that a lot with young people. If something doesn’t work out, they think, ‘Who cares, the teacher will figure it out.’ That’s not how it works. With the Fablab-mindset I encourage them to keep trying. That’s the only way to get the farthest in life. I really try to instill that in them.

You two have also started a business together: Lofenix. How did that come about?

Femke: When we were both still studying, we founded STEM Support. There’s no manual for teaching STEM in schools, and many teachers have questions. That’s why we started selling various STEM projects, some of which we refined or helped design during the FabLab summer camps. At some point, we also started making vertical farms (climate chambers) at FabLab. That was by far our biggest project ever.

Lowie: Those climate chambers started out as small cabinets with a few LED strips and sensors inside. We made three models out of wood and then switched to metal. A professor of bioengineering asked us if we could make larger ones. We built six giant chambers for him, which I believe are now being used quite intensively for research.

Femke: We realized that it was becoming too much to just sell STEM projects, so we changed our name. With Lofenix, we still sell STEM projects, but we also take on engineering projects. Those vertical farms are one example, but we’ve also designed sensors that are now installed in Kouterbos (a forest) in Oud-Heverlee. They measure air pressure, humidity, and temperature so you can digitally determine the optimal walking route. We develop solutions based on requests or on someone’s interest and may or may not incorporate an educational component. We’re now also going to offer study guidance through Lofenix. We also continue to support schools where needed. For example, if schools don’t have a 3D printer but still want to print something, they can do so through us. We also offer workshops. In practice, these mainly attract teachers, but we’re noticing that it’s also becoming a team-building trend. Going laser cutting, soldering, or 3D printing together turns out to be a nice change from going bowling or golfing.

Lowie: FabLab made our business possible. Without it, we simply wouldn’t have been able to do it. At least not in this sector.

Femke: FabLab still plays a support role today, for example when we need advice. And the fact that we’re allowed to use the laser cutters from time to time ensures that we can always help everyone.

Where does your passion for STEM come from?

Lowie: Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to build and create things. I was very STEM-oriented, so that just never really changed. In high school, it was harder to keep doing those things because places like FabLab aren’t everywhere, especially not in smaller towns. But in university, you get the chance to go to FabLab, and that’s how it grew again.

Femke: I’m naturally creative. I used to do a lot of crafts, drawing, and coloring. In high school, I chose to really challenge myself by studying STEM, to develop and build things. That’s when I really got involved with FabLab, but I was already really fascinated by that summer camp I did. The spark was always there for me. It never went away. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here anymore.

As student workers, you both led camps (for kids between 12 and 16). What was that like?

Femke: Since the camps last a week, we have a week to help and guide those kids. If something doesn’t work out, kids easily get stuck in a negative spiral. But when they do succeed, they have a sense of accomplishment. We make sure to highlight those moments. Those little successes encourage the kids to keep trying and to keep going just a little bit further. By the end of the camp week, they’re usually independent, and we’re sometimes left twiddling our thumbs.

Lowie: That’s especially true of the last two days of camp. That’s when they’re given a bit more freedom. We give them lots of examples of what they can make, but they often develop their own ideas. Every year, there are some amazing things they create.

Femke: Everyone is creative in their own way. I love being a part of that.

Is everyone capable of creating a finished product at FabLab?

Femke: I think so.

Lowie: They do have to be interested in it, though.

Femke: Yes, but in principle, anyone can get there. Even if it’s just a small problem for which they come up with a solution. I’m convinced that everyone is creative. Interest obviously plays a role, but sometimes you can also push that a little. Especially in education. At that age, their brains aren’t fully developed yet, you can still shape them. Sometimes kids just need a little nudge.

What’s the reason you’ve kept coming back to FabLab yourselves?

Femke: The atmosphere. The laughter and having fun together. That has really grown over the years. As a student worker in summer, you already notice that this is such a close-knit group and that you’re allowed to be part of it. They don’t exclude you. They embrace you, guide you, and brainstorm with you. That makes you want to come back. The people here are great. And it’s never with a long face. If you’re facing a problem or feel stuck, there are always people who’ll help you figure it out. They help you regain a broader perspective. Everyone’s thought process is different, so everyone comes up with different solutions. You can build on each other’s ideas and refine them. That’s why you enjoy coming back here and want to try new things.

Lowie: There are always new, innovative things going on here. If it’s not the gadgets, it’s the ideas. There’s always something cool being conceived here. You hardly find that anywhere else. The importance of the people at FabLab cannot be underestimated. It’s just super fun to be around like-minded people. That connection is priceless. You share lots of fun moments, but also inspiration, and through those connections, you sometimes end up on new projects.