BIOFABICS LDA

Their core work

BIOFABICS is a Portuguese biotech SME specializing in 3D bioprinting, organ-on-chip platforms, and biomimetic scaffold fabrication for biomedical research. They design and build advanced cell culture systems — including vascularized chip models, cardiac tissue scaffolds, and intestinal models — that enable drug screening, toxicity testing, and personalized medicine research. Their core technical capability spans electrospinning, microfluidics, and 3D printing to create functional tissue models that mimic real biological barriers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BIOFABICS began with a focus on musculoskeletal applications — iPSC-seeded scaffolds for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, combined with bioreactor-based 3D cell culture for personalized medicine (iP-OSTEO, 2019). Their work then broadened into organotypic models for drug development and nanoparticle toxicity screening, incorporating electrospinning and microfluidics (ActiTOX). By 2021, they had moved into electromechanically active cardiac scaffolds with integrated biosensing and electrophysiology (EMAPS-Cardio), signaling a shift from passive tissue scaffolds toward smart, sensor-equipped organ-on-chip platforms.

BIOFABICS is moving from passive biomaterial fabrication toward integrated, sensor-equipped organ-on-chip systems — expect future work combining electroactive materials with real-time tissue monitoring for pharmaceutical applications.

How they like to work

BIOFABICS primarily operates as a specialist partner (4 of 5 projects), contributing their fabrication and bioprinting expertise to larger consortia, though they have demonstrated coordination capability with 3DPRINT-VASCU-CHIP. With 26 unique partners across 16 countries, they maintain a broad and diverse European network rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. This breadth suggests they are adaptable and easy to integrate into new consortia — a practical choice for coordinators looking for a reliable technology partner in biofabrication.

BIOFABICS has collaborated with 26 distinct partners across 16 countries, giving them a wide European footprint for an SME of their size. Their network spans academic and industrial partners across biofabrication, pharmacology, and tissue engineering.

What sets them apart

BIOFABICS sits at the intersection of advanced manufacturing (3D printing, electrospinning) and biological modeling (organ-on-chip, organotypic tissue) — a combination few SMEs can offer under one roof. Their progression from scaffold fabrication to integrated smart tissue platforms with sensing capabilities makes them a rare partner who can both build the physical structure and instrument it for real-time data. For consortium builders, they fill the gap between academic biology labs and industrial manufacturing, translating tissue engineering concepts into reproducible, testable platforms.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 3DPRINT-VASCU-CHIP
  Their only coordinator role — a focused MSCA fellowship project that combined 3D printing with vascular-on-chip technology, signaling the company's core identity.
• EMAPS-Cardio
  Their most recent and second-largest project (EUR 461K), marking a strategic move into electroactive cardiac scaffolds with integrated biosensing — their most technically ambitious work.
• Fish-AI
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 492K) and an unexpected application of their tissue engineering skills to aquaculture — developing an artificial fish intestine for sustainable farming.