Step inside the Paloceras MicroFactory, where digital forms are treated like specimens awaiting transformation. Resin layers build up like microscopic tissue. Stainless trays hold hinges, screws and fragments laid out like instruments. White-gloved hands adjust tension in the material as if repairing matter itself. Every gesture is part of the craft. A choreography between human intention and advanced machinery.
We are proud to announce the opening of the Paloceras MicroFactory in Helsinki: a new centre for high-end optical production that brings digital design, advanced 3D printing and precise hand finishing under one roof.
Here, fantasy eyewear takes form. Frames begin as digital models and are made physical using next-generation 3D printing machinery before being sculpted, smoothed and completed by hand. The approach preserves the tactile qualities of traditional craft while expanding the capacity to produce consistent and high-quality pieces at scale, allowing us to create expressive eyewear in both small experimental runs and refined larger batches.
The MicroFactory shortens the design-to-production cycle from twelve months to two weeks, allowing for rapid iteration and prototyping. Structure, proportion and colour can be adjusted between one piece and the next.
This is creativity at scale. But creation happens with intention, not excess. By keeping modelling, printing and finishing local, we eliminate unnecessary transport and gain full oversight of quality, energy use and material behaviour. It opens the possibility to create on demand and cater to individual needs through bespoke concepts and collaborations.
“Bringing precision-made production, Finnish manufacturing and full in-house control together creates an opportunity that feels genuinely new,” says Erwin Laiho, Industrial Designer and head of the Paloceras MicroFactory. “We can refine every detail ourselves and push the material further with each iteration. It is rare to work in an environment where experimentation and consistency develop side by side, and that is exactly what the MicroFactory makes possible.”
"It is rare to work in an environment where experimentation and consistency develop side by side." - Erwin Laiho, Industrial Designer and head of the Paloceras MicroFactory
The MicroFactory restores optical production in the Nordics at a time when much of the manufacturing has moved elsewhere, but technology has developed to provide modern alternatives at industry-level standards.
“We have explored 3D printing for years, but the quality was never at the level we demanded,” says Mika Matikainen, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Paloceras. “The technology has now matured. Our first 3D printed product, Hydroceras, proved it, with opticians around the world placing orders after seeing it in Paris. Bringing production to Helsinki lets us refine it further and opens the door to new forms and new collaborations.”
Following a sold-out debut, Hydroceras will return in December 2025 as a full “Made in Helsinki” edition with refined details and new colourways. Looking ahead, the MicroFactory will support the development of upcoming limited runs, bespoke concepts and artist-led collaborations planned for 2026.
The MicroFactory embodies the Paloceras design philosophy in its purest form. It is a place where digital visions become physical through uncompromising craftsmanship unbound by convention.
