DiSTT at Brno University of Technology: A New Space and Nearly 200 Makers Eager to Create

Date: 17.02.2026
By: DiSTT
When an open workshop is established at a university, things start to happen. And when a European project like DiSTT is introduced at the same time, the result is the perfect mix: technology, community, training, and inspiration. Students at the Brno University of Technology (BUT) have had access to open workshop facilities for almost ten years, and during the strojLAB DAY event, a brand-new space was officially opened directly in the main building of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME).

Nearly 200 participants attended the event – students, staff members, academics, and those who simply wanted to discover what can be created, printed, soldered, and prototyped at FME. And most importantly: how to get involved. Thanks to the European project DiSTT, funded by the INTERREG Central Europe programme, students and staff now have the opportunity to take part in entirely new types of training designed to better prepare them for the current needs of the labour market. The DiSTT project focuses on developing digital skills in 3D printing, additive technologies, and modern manufacturing.

At strojLAB DAY, we presented the project right where it makes the most sense: in the open university workshop, strojLAB. During the event, at the DiSTT project booth, we showcased:

  • the training programmes already developed at FME BUT,
  • how students and staff can participate in the training,
  • and what is currently being prepared across the entire project, involving six partners in five European countries.

Because DiSTT is not a project that sits in a drawer. DiSTT lives in the workshop. DiSTT is how we do it.

Entry training? On the spot. Soldering? Absolutely.

But we didn’t stick to presentations or conversations at the booth. Participants could immediately take part in:

  • an entry training session granting access to strojLAB,
  • a soldering workshop, proving that a soldering iron still has its place at FME

And that’s exactly how we like it: no “maybe someday” – just come and try it right away.

See full photo gallery on the strojLAB Facebook page.

strojLAB DAY = a growing community

The event demonstrated that open workshops and shared technologies make tremendous sense at a university. Students gain facilities for projects, prototypes, and final theses. Staff members gain a space to create, test ideas, and become part of a community.

And because strojLAB functions as an ecosystem, people from different institutes, teams, and disciplines met in one place. Exactly the kind of gathering from which new collaborations are often born.

DiSTT + FabLab: the ideal duo for digital skills

The DiSTT project adds a new dimension to the fablab: it connects the local maker community with a European network of partners and brings concrete educational content that we can use, further develop, and share. And the FabLab provides the ideal environment for our workshops and training – because it is a real workshop, with real technologies and real people who want to create with both their hands and their minds.

What’s next?

If the DiSTT project has caught your interest, it’s simple – get in touch with us, gain access to our training programmes, and start creating together with us.

Because the best digital skills are not developed in front of PowerPoint slides. The best digital skills are developed in the workshop. DiSTT is how we do it!

Project Leader David Škaroupka: david.skaroupka@vut.cz