INKplant · Project

3D-Printed Custom Implants That Help Bone and Cartilage Regrow Naturally

healthTestedTRL 5

Imagine a broken bone or worn-out knee cartilage that can't heal on its own. Today's implants fill the gap but don't actually help the body rebuild the missing tissue. INKplant combined 6 different bio-inks and high-speed 3D printing to create custom implants that mimic the complex internal structure of real human tissue — like printing a scaffold the body can grow into and eventually replace with its own cells. They demonstrated this for joint repair and dental implants, getting all the way to animal testing with patient-specific designs.

By the numbers

different bio-ink materials developed for multi-material printing

clinical use cases demonstrated (osteochondral and dental)

consortium partners across 7 countries

EUR 5,988,155

total EU funding invested

industry partners in the consortium (47% industry ratio)

SMEs participating in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Millions of Europeans need joint replacements and dental implants every year, but current implants are one-material, one-structure devices that don't match the complex layered architecture of real bone and cartilage. This leads to poor tissue integration, implant loosening, and costly revision surgeries. The market desperately needs implants that can guide the body to regenerate its own tissue rather than just filling a gap.

The solution

What was built

INKplant built final demonstrators of patient-specific resorbable implants using 6 different bio-inks, combining ceramic stereolithography and multi-material inkjet printing. They delivered in-vivo tested biomimetic structures for osteochondral and dental use cases, plus an open-source library of bioinspired scaffold designs with blueprints and design maps.

Audience

Who needs this

Orthopedic implant manufacturers seeking next-generation resorbable scaffoldsDental implant companies wanting patient-specific solutions3D printing service bureaus expanding into biomedical applicationsBiomaterials companies developing printable bone and cartilage inksHospital groups and surgical centers with high joint revision surgery volumes

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical device manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Orthopedic implant manufacturers

If you are an orthopedic implant company dealing with high revision surgery rates and implants that don't integrate well with surrounding tissue — this project developed multi-material 3D-printed scaffolds using 6 different bio-inks that mimic natural bone and cartilage structure. The demonstrators were tested with patient-specific data across 2 clinical use cases, potentially reducing implant failure and repeat surgeries.

Dental implant production

mid-size

Target: Dental implant and prosthetics companies

If you are a dental implant manufacturer struggling with poor osseointegration and one-size-fits-all designs — INKplant created patient-specific resorbable implants using ceramic stereolithography and multi-material inkjet printing. Their final demonstrators used anonymized patient data for dental use cases, opening the door to implants that guide the jaw bone to regenerate around them.

Additive manufacturing services

SME

Target: 3D printing service bureaus specializing in biomedical applications

If you run a 3D printing service bureau looking to enter the high-value medical market — INKplant proved that industrial-grade ceramic stereolithography and multi-material inkjet printing can produce biomimetic scaffolds at high throughput. Their open-source collection of scaffolding structures with design maps gives you a ready library to offer biomedical customers without starting from scratch.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt this technology?

The project produced an open-source collection of scaffolding structures with design maps, freely available as design files and blueprints. Licensing terms for the proprietary multi-material printing process and 6 bio-ink formulations would need to be negotiated with the consortium, led by Profactor GmbH in Austria.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

INKplant specifically chose ceramic stereolithography and multi-material inkjet printing because these are high-throughput additive manufacturing technologies already proven for industrial processes. The consortium includes 9 industry partners (47% of the consortium), suggesting the technology was designed with manufacturing scale in mind from the start.

What is the IP situation — who owns what?

With 19 partners across 7 countries, IP is distributed across the consortium. The open-source scaffold library is freely available, but the 6 bio-ink formulations and printing process parameters are likely protected. Contact the coordinator Profactor GmbH for specific licensing discussions.

How close is this to regulatory approval for clinical use?

The project completed in-vivo testing of biomimetic structures and created final demonstrators using anonymized patient data for 2 use cases (osteochondral and dental). However, as a Research and Innovation Action, full clinical trials and CE marking for medical devices would still be required before commercial deployment.

When could a company realistically use this?

The project closed in June 2024 with tested demonstrators and validated biomaterials. Based on available project data, a company partnering with the consortium could potentially reach pilot production within 2-3 years, though medical device certification timelines would be the main bottleneck.

Does this work with existing 3D printing equipment?

INKplant used ceramic stereolithography and multi-material inkjet printing — both are commercially available industrial technologies. However, the specific 6 bio-ink formulations and multi-material process integration may require equipment modifications or dedicated setups to replicate the biomimetic scaffold microstructures.

What support is available from the research team?

The consortium of 19 partners includes 5 universities and 3 research organizations alongside 9 industry players. The open-source scaffold library provides a starting point, and the coordinator Profactor GmbH (Austria) is a research organization with industry transfer experience.

Consortium

Who built it

The INKplant consortium is notably industry-heavy for a research project: 9 out of 19 partners come from industry (47%), with 4 SMEs in the mix. This signals that commercial translation was a priority from the start, not an afterthought. The 7-country spread across Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Israel, Netherlands, and Portugal covers Europe's key medtech manufacturing hubs. With 5 universities and 3 research organizations providing the science backbone, and Profactor GmbH (an Austrian research-to-industry transfer organization) coordinating, this consortium was built to move results toward the market. The EUR 5,988,155 budget is substantial for implant development, covering materials, printing technology, and biological validation.

PROFACTOR GMBHCoordinator · AT
MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIENparticipant · AT
ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE NORMALIZACIONparticipant · ES
LUDWIG BOLTZMANN GESELLSCHAFT OSTERREICHISCHE VEREINIGUNG ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTLICHEN FORSCHUNGparticipant · AT
TIGER Coatingsparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITAT LINZparticipant · AT
STRATASYS LTDparticipant · IL
ELKEM SILICONES FRANCE SASparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM UTRECHTparticipant · NL
CHARITE - UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN BERLINparticipant · DE
FLUIDINOVA SAparticipant · PT
LITHOZ GMBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRIDparticipant · ES
KEPLER UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM GMBHparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

Profactor GmbH, Austria — research and technology organization specializing in industrial transfer. Use Google AI search to find the project coordinator's direct contact.

Order a report on this consortium See PROFACTOR GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the INKplant team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific application — whether you need the bio-ink formulations, the printing process, or the scaffold design library.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical