Europe's Largest Makerspace

Nature of the Berlin Facility (“Makerspace” vs Incubator)

• Many see the project as more of an industrial co-working/incubator than a classic community makerspace.
• Historical prices at the partner space (hundreds of euros/month) suggest it may be too expensive for hobbyists and early-stage tinkerers.
• Some argue this is a different, valid category (shared industrial workshop for startups/SMEs) that shouldn’t be conflated with volunteer-driven “hobby cellar” community spaces.
• Supporters note that professional operation and maintenance could make it far more productive than volunteer-run spaces.

Access, Cost, and Sustainability Concerns

• Discussion centers on whether access will be affordable and merit-based or mainly for well-funded startups.
• Prior examples (e.g. a Liverpool facility) are cited: flashy, expensive, underused, and eventually closed.
• Several expect public funding/political attention to fade in a few years, risking closure once it’s no longer trendy.

Impact on Berlin’s and Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

• Some Berlin founders welcome the signal that the city is investing in hardware/startups.
• Others call it “fluff and pomp” that doesn’t address deeper EU issues: bureaucracy, taxation, slow grant schemes, difficult equity for employees, and risk-averse capital.
• Skepticism that Berlin will become “Europe’s Silicon Valley”; seen instead as generating small SaaS firms rather than global giants.
• Recurrent theme: Europe is good at startups but bad at scale-ups due to limited high-risk capital.

EU vs US (and Asia): Broader Debate

• Long argument over whether Europe is “behind”:
  • One side stresses lack of hyper-growth firms, lower salaries, complex regulation (GDPR, AI Act), and high taxes as innovation dampeners.
  • The other side points to globally critical firms (e.g. semiconductor equipment makers), EU quality-of-life advantages, and upcoming investment in chips, defense, and AI.
• Deep disagreement on pensions and energy policy:
  • Pay‑as‑you‑go pensions framed either as stability or as a demographic time bomb.
  • Germany’s energy situation alternately described as a serious crisis or as painful but necessary adjustment toward renewables.

Life in Germany/Berlin: Salaries, Housing, Immigration

• For skilled foreign engineers, typical Berlin packages (~70–90k€ gross, potentially higher later) are seen as enough to live well, save some, and buy property over a 10–20 year horizon, but not comparable to US tech pay.
• Health insurance and unemployment protections are viewed as strong; far-right politics are considered worrisome but not yet dominant.
• Berlin’s rental market is widely acknowledged as difficult: long searches, intense competition, rent controls; easier for single, well-paid tech workers than for families.
• Locals near the new site describe South Berlin as underdeveloped; some doubt teams will commute there.

Experiences with Makerspaces Generally

• Commenters praise makerspaces for skill-building and career starts, including in Berlin and Amsterdam.
• Critique: many spaces underemphasize the business side of making, so impressive projects rarely become products.
• Practical wishes include better communication (e.g., RSS feeds) and finding comparable spaces in other European regions.