Last weekend, I had the immense pleasure of attending one of the most vibrant, colourful, and welcoming conferences I’ve ever experienced, the 2025 Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) Summit, held in the bright and modern Nucleus Building at the University of Edinburgh.
As a member of the TU Delft Open Hardware Group, I spent two inspiring days surrounded by people who speak the same unspoken language, the language of curiosity, of making things with your hands, of believing that knowledge and tools should be freely shared.
At TU Delft, our Open Hardware Group is committed to helping students, researchers, and engineers publish and share their creations in the open. We focus not just on building devices, but on documenting them clearly, licensing them properly, and making them truly reusable. From education to sustainability, healthcare to citizen science, we support a culture where open hardware can become a bridge between ideas and real-world impact.
I had the honour of attending alongside my brilliant colleagues Santosh Ilamparuthi and Jerry de Vos, whose dedication to open science and global equity never ceases to amaze me. Presentation titled “From Shelves to Impact: How TU Delft is Turning Shelved Projects into Open Hardware Stars.” It showed how even forgotten prototypes, when openly documented, can spark new waves of creativity and usefulness.
But this summit wasn’t just about talks and tools. It was about connection. We shared not only our projects, but our visions, our concerns, our laughter, and sometimes just quiet presence. We talked about science and society, about the future we’re dreaming of, and the role we play in shaping it, piece by piece, bolt by bolt, pin by pin.
I felt seen. I felt at home. And I realised: this isn’t just a professional space, it’s a community. One I truly belong to.
A few words about OSHWA, the organisers of this summit. Founded in 2012, the Open Source Hardware Association is dedicated to promoting open hardware through education, certification, and community support. Their certification programme helps makers and organisations align with best practices. Their annual summit, like the one I just attended, is a space where new collaborations are born, and where the open hardware community can reflect, grow, and celebrate together.
I returned from Edinburgh a little tired, but deeply energised, full of new ideas, new friendships, and new reasons to keep going. Whether it’s soldering a board, publishing a design, writing a code, or simply listening with care, what we do matters. And it matters even more when we do it together.
Thank you, OSHWA. Thank you, everyone who was there.
Let’s keep making things. Let’s keep opening the world.
Together.
Anđela Tomić
