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IBEC is already positioned as the 3D bioprinting provider to researchers and companies throughout southern Europe (Photo: IBEC).
 03.05.2017

IBEC is bioprinting partner in major 3D printing hub in Catalonia

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), based at Barcelona Science Park, is to be part of a the Global 3D Printing Hub, a 3D printing infrastructure in Catalonia, which will receive up to 28 million euros from the Generalitat by 2020 to consolidate Catalonia as a world leader in 3D printing, one of the key technologies in industry 4.0. The Global 3D Printing Hub will be headquartered in 10.000m2 of the Campus Diagonal Besòs in Barcelona.

 

IBEC will contribute its expertise to the 3D bioprinting side of the platform. With its development of the BioSpace Lab infrastructure, which includes an advanced 3D bioprinter and 3D printer systems, the institute offers the level of precision, characteristics and know-how required to revolutionize regenerative medicine and medical devices using this emerging technology, and is already positioned as the 3D bioprinting provider to researchers and companies throughout southern Europe. Other players in the Global 3D Printing Hub will include HP, IQS, Renishaw, Fundació CIM, Eureco-Leitat, and Fira de Barcelona.

The Global 3D Printing Hub will take two approaches: it will connect solution providers and entrepreneurs with manufacturers around the world so that they can carry out joint projects in 3D printing; and secondly, it will provide a public laboratory where companies can do research, discover and test the applications of the technology. 

The project is led by Catalonia Trade & Investment and has the support of both companies and technological and research centres such as HP, RENISHAW, Eurecat-Leitat and Fira de Barcelona.

The initiative was unveiled today by the President of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, accompanied by the Minister for Enterprise and Knowledge, Jordi Baiget, who outlined the proposed activities of the public-private platform and said: “We have the environment, the strategy, the actors and the funding to carry out this project.”In this regard, the President of the Catalan Government, Carles Puigdemont, has declared that “Catalonia has the opportunity to lead the best ecosystem of supply and demand for business and talent in 3D on a European level, just to start with” while at the same time, “reaffirm its national commitment to industry 4.0”. “We can and want to lead this change”, he stated. Furthermore, the president is convinced of the potential which the creation of this hub will represent as regards investment attraction and which turns it into “another element placing Catalonia at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution”.