The Fab Academy is a digital fabrication program developed at MIT. Global lectures by Prof. Neil Gershenfeld, combined with hands-on mentorship at Fab Lab Benfica — Portugal's only Fab Academy node.
A fast-paced, hands-on learning experience: students learn rapid prototyping by planning and executing a new project each week, resulting in a personal portfolio of technical skills. Through MIT's global lectures combined with local mentorship at Fab Lab Benfica, participants develop expertise in fabrication technologies — within Lisboa's cultural context.
Fab Lab Benfica operates within the School of Education of the Polytechnic University of Lisbon (ESELx), combining advanced technology with inspirational surroundings.
The campus brings together academic rigour and Mediterranean character. It sits 15 minutes from downtown Lisboa by public transport, in a mild Atlantic climate — with cultural heritage, Portuguese hospitality and an international community around you while you learn.
Fab Academy runs from January to June: the months when Lisboa is mild, bright and full of waves. Come for the programme, stay for the city.
Carcavelos, on the Cascais line, is a 20-minute train ride from Cais do Sodré, and Guincho, just past Cascais, catches the bigger swells. Across the river, Costa da Caparica offers kilometres of beach breaks. Winter and spring bring the best Atlantic swells — right when Fab Academy runs.
Watch the sun set over the 25 de Abril bridge from a miradouro, take the ferry across to Cacilhas, or cycle the riverside path to Belém.
Mild Atlantic winters, around 15 °C in January, and long, bright days by June. Lisboa is one of the sunniest capitals in Europe.
Trams climbing through Alfama, a creative and international scene, fado, food and the June street festivals. After twenty weeks, Lisboa stops being a destination and starts feeling like home.
Classes start January 2027. Apply through the Fab Academy registration and choose Fab Lab Benfica as your node.
