20 May, 2021 Vientiane, Lao PDR.
The recently opened Burapha Agro-Forestry sustainable plywood factory donated a pallet of test-run plywood sheets to The Makerbox Lao not-for-profit maker space soon to open at the World Trade Center in Vientiane.
“Burapha is an innovator in the area of sustainable plywood manufacturing.” said Dr. Adam Redman, Plywood Production Manager for Burapha. “Burapha realizes the importance of efforts to offer facilities for people of all ages to explore and experiment with new technologies and to develop new solutions. Makerbox Lao is exactly the type of space that will serve as a starting point form any ideas and start-ups, and Burapha is committed to supporting innovation and skills development in Lao.”
“We are very happy with the support from Burapha,” said Derek Spranger, CTO of The Makerbox Lao. “It is through corporate sponsorship and support that the maker space will be sustainable and be able to offer the space and facilities for people to explore and discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and much more. Ultimately, we hope that The Makerbox Lao will serve as an important platform for innovation and idea generation all the way through to start-up incubation and SME establishment. Most importantly, however, The Makerbox Lao will allow people of all ages to explore and satisfy their curiosity.”
The donated plywood will be used for several purposes, including fit-out of the Makerbox space, and as raw material for community members who wish to make models, prototypes or dabble in woodworking in general.
Burapha Agro-Forestry Company was established in 1990 and has a manufacturing facility in Hin Hueb, Vientiane Province, Lao PDR. The factory is supplied by wood from sustainable reforestation projects. The majority of the company’s high-quality plywood sheets are destined for export to Australia and New Zealand.
The Makerbox Lao is a not-for-profit one-stop hub for people of all ages to initiate and share ideas, develop concepts and turn visions into practical innovative solutions across a wide range of areas, from science, technology, community development, and agriculture to SMEs and human resources capacity building in Lao PDR.
