IBEC goes stateside to boost health applications of 3D printing

Alongside companies Avinent, Diopma, Mastertec, Neos Surgery, Servocad Microtronics, Tractivus and Ventura Medical, as well as the Althaia Foundation, Fira de Barcelona and Hospital Clínic, Head of Tech Transfer Xavier Rubies—accompanied by Scientific Coordinator Mateu Pla—visited hospitals, technology centers and local laboratories and meet with investors and companies in the region to find financing, new partners or customers.

With its state-of-the-art technology, IBEC is a leading light in 3D bioprinting in Catalonia, and at least 70 companies offer services and products linked to the new technology. And with institutions such as MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts is the main technology generation hub in the U.S. and is consolidating itself as the country’s epicenter of the application of 3D printing to health.

Organised by the Generalitat de Catalunya’s ACCIÓ agency, CataloniaBio and the HealthTech cluster, the four-day mission met with entities such as the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Tufts Medical Center, the Boston Scientific company, Harvard’s Weitz Laboratory and Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthe, as well as participating in networking events with experts in investment, regulation and other American companies interested in getting acquainted with the Catalan delegation.

The mission coincided with one of the main events of the sector, the BIOMEDevice congress, which will bring together more than 4,500 participants in the field of medical technology in Boston. The congress also encompasses the annual conference of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC).