Peru has hosted the first-ever international design school in the Americas focused on open-source medical devices, thanks to a unique collaboration between IMDEA Materials Institute, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), and the University of Piura.

Held as part of the University of Piura’s 2nd International Laboratory, the event was organised by Prof. Andrés Díaz Lantada, Principal Investigator at IMDEA Materials and Full Professor at UPM, researcher William Solórzano Requejo (UPM), and the research team of Prof. Carlos Ojeda Díaz from the University of Piura.

The initiative marks a milestone in the global effort to make healthcare technology more accessible, affordable, and sustainable.

Both Prof. Díaz Lantada and Solórzano Requejo are members of the Horizon Europe BIOMET4D, which aims to develop smart, biodegradable implants capable of adapting to the human body over time. BIOMET4D is coordinated by IMDEA Materials, with the UPM as one of the eight European institutions that form part of the project’s consortium.

As part of the event, Solórzano Requejo led a masterclass illustrating examples from the project.

The design school aimed to promote hands-on, project-based learning in biomedical engineering. Over the course of an intensive week of lectures, design sessions, prototyping and testing, 70 students from five Peruvian universities worked in teams to create and develop eight innovative medical device prototypes.

These ranged from orthotic devices and implants to shape-morphing prosthetics and scaffolds for tissue engineering, addressing real-world conditions such as Ewing sarcoma, tracheal and cardiovascular stenoses, joint degeneration and bruxism.

The participants also explored cutting-edge technologies, including the use of generative AI and image-to-3D modelling tools for rapid prototyping. These were integrated with traditional CAD design workflows to accelerate the development process.

As part of the event, fellow UPM researcher Carlos Aguilar Vega also shared progress from the iMPLANTS-CM project on NiTi shape-morphing implants.

“These kinds of international, project-based design schools are reshaping biomedical engineering education, preparing a new generation of engineers focused on technological sustainability and global healthcare accessibility,” affirmed Prof. Díaz Lantada.

“The approach is also aligned with the principles of Engineering Education 5.0, which advocates interdisciplinary, socially responsible, and innovation-driven learning”.

Looking ahead, Prof. Díaz Lantada announced plans to organise a similar international school in Madrid, hosted jointly by IMDEA Materials Institute and the UPM, further strengthening global collaboration in open-source medical technologies.