About me¶

Pieter van der Hijden¶

Return to Suriname; November 2025

Grew up in South Limburg, the former coal district in The Netherlands, close to the German and Belgian borders;
Studied in Eindhoven: Master's in Applied Physics (system and control engineering, computer simulation);
R&D "interactive simulation" for social systems (Nijmegen University) and for futures research (Leiden University);
Corporate management consultant for organization and ICT with the Dutch government;
Independent consultant through his own Sofos Consultancy, specializing in gaming/simulation, e-learning/distance learning, digital fabricating, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Pieter lives with his wife Bidia in Amsterdam (The Netherlands); they stay 4-6 months annually in Wanica (Suriname).

Learned about the fablab concept through Waag in Amsterdam and spread the idea in Suriname; attends Fab conferences since 2010;
Implemented Fablab Suriname, the first Caribbean fablab; later task force member, management trainer, curriculum developer, and volunteer of ZapLab AT Villa Zapakara in Suriname;
Project reporter to the World Bank for Fablab Peru;
Fab network activities on fablab lifecycle, fablab safety, fablabs and UN SDGs;
Coordinator of Global WG Fablabs and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Developer/trainer of The Quest for the Data Workbench;
Working on The Whole Earth Fab Network Catalogue.

Physically, a fab lab consists of a collection of workstations, each dedicated to performing specific processes. Workstations consist of a nameplate, a diagram explaining the process, (physical) examples of results, reference books, hand tools, a work surface, typically containing a laptop and a digital production machine, a supply of raw materials and spare parts, and electricity and internet connections.
In our view, a fab lab also needs a workstation for data processing: the data workbench. Data play a role in all processes, but also in the products and systems we develop; data also are increasingly important for analyzing the fablab environment, for managing the fablab itself, and for monitoring and accounting the fablabs impact on its environment.