The partners of the European research project BIOMET4D have gathered at the Uniklinik RWTH Aachen (Germany) for their annual consortium meeting, a key milestone to evaluate achievements, exchange knowledge and plan the next phase of the project.

Coordinated by the IMDEA Materials Institute, BIOMET4D is developing a new generation of shape-morphing, load-bearing implants designed to restore damaged tissues while gradually resorbing inside the body. The initiative is funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC Pathfinder) under the Horizon Europe programme.

Representatives from all project partners attended the first day of sessions, where researchers presented advances achieved over the past year. Discussions focused particularly on progress in metal additive manufacturing and computational modelling, two of the core technologies enabling implants capable of adapting their shape and mechanical behaviour once implanted.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for partners to see the first device prototypes and evaluate how experimental developments are aligning with clinical needs.

The BIOMET4D consortium brings together expertise from materials science, engineering, clinical practice and industrial manufacturing. Partners include AMAZEMET, the Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute, Meotec GmbH, RWTH Aachen University, Schaeffler Aerosint, the University of Galway and the Technical University of Madrid.

The second day of the meeting involved the project’s Stakeholder Advisory Board, allowing clinicians, industry experts and end-users to provide feedback on the technologies under development and help guide future research directions.

Participants also took part in a hands-on virtual-reality session exploring alternative approaches to medical device development and training, highlighting the project’s commitment not only to innovative materials but also to new methods of clinical preparation and evaluation.

By combining additive manufacturing, modelling and biomedical expertise, BIOMET4D aims to create implants capable of adapting to the healing process, reducing the need for secondary surgeries and improving patient recovery.

BIOMET4D has received funding from the EIC Pathfinder under grant agreement No 101047008. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor EISMEA can be held responsible for them.