Fundación TMA

A nonprofit behind Fab Lab León

Fundación TMA (Telice Magnetic Anomaly) is a nonprofit established by the company Telice in 2011. Its work is organized around Fab Lab León, an early digital-fabrication maker space in Spain focused on learning, experimentation, and innovation. The foundation describes its work in technology and innovation as a ten-year effort.

Education, fabrication, and startup programs

• Programs for children and young people: after-school programs, boot camps, courses, and workshops using hands-on learning and tangible projects.
• Digital skills: courses and workshops for individuals and groups, adapted to participants’ needs.
• Advanced digital fabrication: as part of the global Fab Lab Network, Fab Lab León serves as a local hub for international programs run by the Fab Foundation, including FabAcademy and Fabricademy.
• Corporate courses and workshops: custom programs for internal use or to support a company’s corporate social responsibility and sustainable-development goals.
• Fab Lab consulting: technology advice for schools, businesses, organizations, and communities creating spaces to share and prototype ideas.
• Digital-fabrication innovation: support with innovation projects, proofs of concept, and rapid prototyping.
• Startup Grind León: the foundation supports the local chapter of a global community of startups, founders, and innovators active in more than 600 cities across 125 countries.

Programs and impact measures

The foundation tracks its educational and innovation work through measures such as hours of in-person and online after-school STEAM instruction; students who have used its facilities; mentoring hours for international FabAcademy and Fabricademy programs; mentor participation in maker events and workshops; entrepreneurs who have developed prototypes on site; and students in technology boot camps.

Social responsibility and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Fundación TMA presents its work as part of Telice’s corporate social responsibility policy and links it to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda. Initiatives it highlights include making personal protective equipment at Fab Lab León during the COVID-19 pandemic; education programs such as Cybercamp; gender-equality projects including Poderosas and Shemakes; international digital-fabrication training for employment; work with UNED’s Chair in Sustainable Tourism and Rural Development; and “Repáratelo,” an open initiative against planned obsolescence.

Partnerships

The foundation has signed collaboration agreements with Banco Sabadell and Ildefe to support Startup Grind León. It also works with UNED and takes part in projects including Poderosas FECYT, Breakers, and PICE.