With portable devices like smartphones and tablets we’re always connected to the Internet. And since these devices are becoming more and more advanced, we are also able to use more complex tools on the go. At NEXT Berlin 2012, Hilde Sevens (Autodesk) discussed the changes that were triggered by these developments.

“Mobile and web technology have rocked our world, changing it forever, as our tools are now available from anywhere, at any time, with access from a global community,” she explains. This makes it not only easier to connect with friends, but also with professionals from all around the world. It enables new forms of working, collaborating and producing.

With this in mind, new techniques of customisation like 3D printing appear to have even greater potential. In her talk Sevens sketches the paradigm change that is currently occurring: empowering people and “unlocking the creativity in everyone,” as she puts it.