Pangloss Labs receives the “Fabrique de territoire” label from the Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires (National Agency for Territorial Cohesion)

On 22 October, the Minister for Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities, Jacqueline Gourault, unveiled the 60 new winners of wave 3 of the "Fabriques de territoires" call for expressions of interest which was launched by seven members of the Government in July 2019. The aim is to support the development of third places in France and help them to become more structured and professional. Pangloss Labs appears in this selection, the only tiers-lieux in Ain amongst 8 others in the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region.https://www.cohesion-territoires.gouv.fr/les-60-nouveaux-laureats-de-lappel-manifestation-dinteret-fabriques-de- territoire-annonces The first Fabrique de Territoire National Meeting was held on Monday 16th November online, Pangloss Labs participated. Fabriques de Territoires will receive a grant of 150,000 euros over three years to support the start-up of their project, their influence beyond the territory in which they are established, the formation of their team and the search for their economic balance. In this way, they become part of a community driven by the values of sharing, the production of common goods, the experimentation of participatory governance models and the ambition to create social links for the benefit of the inhabitants of their territory. "Facilitating access to a world of possibilities." This is the raison d'être of Pangloss Labs, a non-profit association created in 2014. Creating experimentation and prototyping laboratories to support the creation of local entrepreneurial activities is the mission of the association, based in Ferney-Voltaire in the Pays de Gex (Ain). Thus Pangloss Labs is a collaborative third-space that offers its members several spaces to share and pool tools, machines and workspaces: The Pangloss Labs association has around 100 members with a variety of skills. Among them are professionals (engineers and scientists, designers, creators, artists and various entrepreneurs), but also students, retirees and amateurs. By offering production tools and machines and professional skills that are not available elsewhere in Pays de Gex, Pangloss Labs has a flagship role and thus meets a need of companies, social actors and citizens in the area. Pangloss Labs also provides services to partners, public organisations and municipalities, and works with them on joint projects. Our action plan as a "Fabrique de territoire" includes the development of digital training activity (courses on Fablab's machines and digital expertise and support for members in their activities to fight the digital divide), support for social activities and support for activities working towards sustainable development; increasing the number of members; strengthening communication and external relations; extending the scope in the areas of digital transition and energy transition; and helping to develop the territorial network of third places in the French Genevan area. State support should help us to increase the association's resources and make Pangloss Labs a key third-space in our region.