Berlin, Germany – For the second consecutive year, LMI TAPIOCA took part in re:publica, one of Europe’s largest festivals of digital culture and technology. Held from May 18 to 20, 2026, in Berlin, the event brought together makers, researchers, activists, and representatives of innovation hubs from over 20 countries under the motto “Never Gonna Give You Up”, focused on resilience, solidarity, and the fight for a better future amid global crises.

Representing TAPIOCA, researcher Cristiano Lopes actively participated in the Makerspace — a space curated by the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) for the 13th consecutive year — where he presented the hub of projects developed by the laboratory in Northeast Brazil and France, with a special focus on the Terra Mar exhibition and research methodologies in marine protected areas and fishing communities.

“Like last year, going to re:publica is an opportunity to learn and engage in very rich exchanges, to meet lovely people from GIG whom you’ve spent the year seeing and talking to online. But the energy of being there in person is completely different and far more enriching,” says Cristiano. “This year’s event provided new networks with hubs that were not yet known to the group. It is a unique opportunity to present Tapioca at re:publica to people from various fields and from all over the world.”

Makerspace: Open Technology, Citizen Science, and Community-Led Innovation

The Makerspace at re:publica 2026 hosted over 20 workshops across three days, covering everything from mesh network building and biomaterials to textile repair, zine-making, and emergency alert device prototyping. The diversity of perspectives — with facilitators from Bogotá, Singapore, South Sudan, and Berlin — was one of the event’s greatest strengths.

Among the highlights were workshops on air pollution monitoring, water scarcity response, and deforestation detection using open hardware sensors, all grounded in real-world applications in communities across the Global South. The Distributed BioLabs session explored biocomposites as a systemic alternative to extractive manufacturing, while Seeed Studio built a functional off-grid mesh network live with participants.

About TAPIOCA:

The International Joint Laboratory TAPIOCA (IRD/UFPE/UFRPE) works at the interface of oceanography, ecology, and social sciences, focusing on the Tropical Atlantic and coastal communities in Northeast Brazil.

Related Links:

• TAPIOCA Website: tapioca.ird.fr
• Terra Mar Exhibition: terramar.online
• re:publica: re-publica.com

GLOBAL INNOVATION GATHERING. Making together: The Makerspace at re:publica 2026. June 18, 2026. Available at: https://globalinnovationgathering.org/2026/06/18/making-together-the-makerspace-at-republica-2026/.