PROTOTYPES FOR EUROPE EV

Their core work

Prototypes for Europe is a Berlin-based association focused on open source hardware, digital fabrication, and community-driven product development. They bring prototyping and maker-community expertise into EU innovation projects, helping bridge the gap between grassroots makers and structured industry processes. Their work spans circular economy material flows, open healthcare devices, and company-community collaboration models for open source product design.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects clustered between 2018 and 2019 start dates, the evolution window is narrow. Their earliest project (Made4You, 2018) focused on digital fabrication for healthcare, while the two 2019 projects expanded into circular economy material flows (REFLOW) and open source hardware ecosystems (OPEN_NEXT). The trajectory suggests a move from specific maker-space applications toward broader systemic challenges — urban circularity, new business models, and blockchain-enabled governance.

Moving toward systemic urban sustainability challenges where open source methods, community governance, and circular material flows intersect — likely a strong partner for future projects combining digital tools with environmental goals.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they contribute specialized expertise rather than leading large consortia. With 48 unique partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse Innovation Action consortia. This suggests they are comfortable in complex multi-partner environments and bring a specific niche (open source / maker community expertise) rather than broad project management capacity.

Despite only three projects, they have built connections with 48 partners across 12 countries, reflecting participation in large Innovation Action consortia with broad European reach. Their Berlin base places them in one of Europe's strongest maker and open source communities.

What sets them apart

They sit at a rare intersection: an association that connects grassroots maker communities with structured EU-funded innovation projects. Their expertise in open source hardware and digital fabrication is uncommon among H2020 participants, most of whom are universities or companies. For any consortium needing genuine community engagement, prototyping capacity, or open source product development methods, they fill a gap that traditional partners cannot.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REFLOW
  Largest funding (EUR 487,500) and broadest scope — covering circular material flows across seven material streams with blockchain and governance tools.
• OPEN_NEXT
  Directly addresses the organization's core mission: building collaboration frameworks between companies and open source communities for product development.