Last month, Seeed Studio traveled to Berlin for re:publica 2026, Europe’s largest festival for digital society, beyond a traditional technology conference—this event has become a gathering place for the people shaping digital culture itself. Hosted at the iconic STATION Berlin, the three-day event brought together makers, activists, artists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and technologists to discuss the future of our increasingly connected world, critically.

With more than a thousand speakers, dozens of stages, hands-on workshops, community meetups, and a unique makerspace area that we co-created within the GIG (Global Innovation Gathering) community , we participated in demonstrating a wild range of open-source hardware that Seeed Studio has developed over the years for the community.

“Never Gonna Give You Up”: Redefining Digital Resilience at re:publica 2026

This year’s theme, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” was more than a playful nod to internet culture. The organizers described it as a commitment to openness, participation, digital justice, and the belief that technology should remain accessible to everyone—not just a privileged few. At a time when algorithms increasingly shape public discourse, misinformation spreads rapidly, and critical infrastructure can be disrupted by disasters, conflict, or simple network outages, the theme resonated strongly with communities working to build resilient and decentralized technologies. For Seeed Studio, this was the perfect setting to showcase technologies that empower communities to stay connected when traditional communication systems are unavailable. Across Europe and beyond, interest continues to grow around citizen-owned infrastructure, local sensing networks, environmental monitoring, and off-grid communication systems. These technologies are not merely technical experiments—they represent a broader movement toward community resilience, digital sovereignty, and grassroots innovation.

Our Ranger, Robert Bogs, took the lead in hosting two intensive workshops that brought the power of decentralized communication to life for a global audience of makers and innovators.

Connecting the Unconnected: The Power of Mesh Networking

Our first workshop, “Build Your Own Mesh,” turned into a massive success. We saw an overwhelming turnout that far exceeded our expectations. More than 30 participants gathered around the table, eager to dive into the world of decentralized communication. Because demand was so high, many people even formed small teams to share devices and learn together.

Using the Wio Tracker L1 Pro and the SenseCAP Card Tracker T1000-E, Robert guided the group through the process of setting up their own nodes and joining a local mesh network. Participants were able to see firsthand how these compact, industrial-grade devices can maintain communication in environments where traditional networks are unavailable. The excitement in the room was palpable as the first off-grid messages began to hop across the table, proving just how accessible and powerful this technology has become.

From Parts to Power: The Art of the DIY Node

Our second session, “Build Your Own Node,” took things a step further into the hardware itself. This workshop was all about the “true maker spirit” of exploration and tinkering. Using the XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262 Dev Kits, we encouraged everyone to touch, dismantle, and experiment with every component on the table to understand how a node actually works.

Beyond just assembling the boards, several teams successfully integrated solar charging systems to power their nodes, demonstrating a completely self-sufficient communication setup. By the end of the session, the participants hadn’t just built a device; they had gained the confidence to tinker with and customize their own hardware. Many left with their DIY kits in hand, ready to continue building and expanding their own networks back home.

A Future Built on Open Networks

Throughout the event, visitors to the Seeed Studio booth explored how open-source hardware and decentralized communication tools can support emergency preparedness, environmental stewardship, and community-led networks. Conversations ranged from Meshtastic-powered LoRa communication systems and solar-powered sensor nodes to citizen science projects that help communities collect and share environmental data without relying on centralized infrastructure.

What made this particularly special was the diversity of perspectives. A climate activist discussing community resilience, a maker building neighborhood sensor networks, a journalist covering digital rights, and a researcher studying resilient communications could all find common ground around the same question: How do we create technologies that strengthen human connections rather than weaken them?

In many ways, that question perfectly captured the spirit of both re:publica 2026 theme and Seeed Studio’s mission. “Never Gonna Give You Up” wasn’t just about refusing to give up on the internet—it was about refusing to give up on each other. Through open-source hardware, accessible tools, and community-driven innovation, we can build networks that continue to serve people when they need them most.

We want to thank Robert for his incredible leadership and everyone who stopped by the Maker Community Table to mesh with us.

We also want to recognize our field team—Jinger Zeng, Ray Huang, and Rain Ye—for their hard work in providing on-site support throughout the three-day event.

Lastly, thank you to the GIG community for inviting us to be part of this beautiful experience！

We left Berlin inspired and ready to keep building the next generation of open-source hardware.

Stay connected, keep building, and keep meshing!

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