When a fablab installs a connected greenhouse run by students who had never touched a microcontroller, we measure the gap between a simple digital DIY workshop and a real innovation laboratory. D’clic Lab, based in Manosque and run by the association Les Petits Débrouillards, crossed this threshold in 2024 with projects that go beyond discovering 3D printing to aim for professional integration and the production of technical objects with a concrete impact.
Applied digital manufacturing: from the connected greenhouse to technical objects
Fablabs are often associated with the production of small decorative objects or short-lived prototypes. D’clic Lab has directed its workshops towards functional achievements, particularly digital manufacturing projects with a concrete impact. The connected greenhouse, designed by beneficiaries of the program, combines humidity sensors, an Arduino board, and laser-cutting for the frame.
This type of project forces participants to engage in computer-aided design, soldering, programming, and field testing. We move from reproducible tutorials to solving real problems: adapting a sensor to an outdoor environment, calibrating automatic watering according to local weather.
Feedback varies on this point, but several participants report that the main difficulty was not technical. It was learning to document each step so that the lab community could reproduce or improve the device. This logic of open documentation remains one of the pillars of D’clic Lab’s operation, faithful to the charter of international fablabs.
To follow the evolution of these achievements, the news from D’clic Lab details the steps of each project and the feedback from the community.
Digital training and professional integration for youth
The training component took on a new dimension in 2024 with the program “D-CLIC, Train yourself in digital with the OIF.” Supported by the International Organization of La Francophonie, this initiative goes beyond simple awareness. The stated goal: qualify young people for employment or digital self-entrepreneurship.
The program has been deployed in several Francophone African countries, with a strong local anchoring. In Togo, an official ceremony held in September 2026 allowed for the awarding of training completion certificates to over 200 young beneficiaries, confirming the growing impact of the initiative launched in 2024.
Content of D-CLIC training pathways
The pathways are not limited to learning a software. There is a structured foundation around operational skills:
- Mastery of digital creation tools (3D modeling, basic programming, use of computer-controlled machine tools)
- Applied project management: learners carry out a collective project from start to finish, from idea to functional prototype
- Support towards employment or activity creation, with a professional orientation component integrated into the curriculum
This approach transforms the fablab into a springboard to digital employment rather than a recreational space. The increase in the number of young people trained since 2024 shows that the model works beyond the pilot phase.
D’clic Lab as an educational space open in Manosque
Alongside international programs, the lab in Manosque continues to operate as a local workshop. Located in the old town, it welcomes audiences of all ages and skill levels. The facilitation by Les Petits Débrouillards places the venue within a culture of accessible scientific mediation.
In practice, it features computer-controlled machine tools (3D printers, laser cutters) and human support that makes a difference. The reciprocal exchange between members remains the driving force of the place: a retiree who masters electronics helps a middle school student with their circuit, while a design student trains the group in modeling.
Educational projects with middle schools and schools
D’clic Lab also operates in schools. The workshops offered to middle schools and schools in the area allow students to discover scientific and digital culture through practice. We are not talking about a passive demonstration in front of a screen, but sessions where each student manipulates, codes, and creates.
These educational interventions are integrated into scientific education programs. They meet a concrete need of teachers who do not always have access to digital manufacturing equipment in their institutions.
Innovations at D’clic Lab: what changes the game in 2024
Several developments distinguish the year 2024 from previous ones for D’clic Lab:
- The shift from pure initiation to qualifying training leading to employment, with a framework structured by the OIF
- The multiplication of technical projects for real use (connected greenhouses, replacement objects, prosthetics), which go beyond the gadget stage
- The geographical expansion of the D-CLIC model towards Francophone Africa, with measurable results in the number of trained beneficiaries
- The strengthening of the link between digital resources and professional integration, particularly for young people distanced from employment
These orientations show a fablab that no longer just opens its doors. It structures pathways, measures its results, and adapts its offerings to the needs on the ground.
The model promoted by D’clic Lab in 2024 confirms that an associative fablab can play a credible role in professional training, provided it goes beyond the logic of a simple discovery space. The next step will be to see if the beneficiaries of these pathways achieve sustainable access to digital employment, the only indicator that will validate the initial promise of the initiative.
