3DCARE

Sustainable orthopaedic solutions with AI-driven design and 3D printing for patient-specific CARE

Funding: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Staff Exchanges Duration: 48 months

3DCARE – key concept figure — Conceptual framework and workflow of 3DCARE (from the proposal Part B1).

Overview

Orthopaedic implants, scaffolds and braces increasingly require high levels of customization to match the patient’s anatomy and clinical pathway, while also meeting strict biomechanical performance and biocompatibility requirements. 3DCARE addresses this challenge with a closed-loop, data-driven framework that couples AI-enhanced design with advanced additive manufacturing and bioprinting to deliver patient-specific solutions with a smaller environmental footprint.

The project integrates optimisation, machine learning and simulation-based digital twins with material characterisation, manufacturing process planning and clinical feedback. Lifecycle thinking (including end-of-life strategies and circular-economy principles) is embedded from the earliest design stages to support sustainable healthcare manufacturing.

Through MSCA Staff Exchanges, 3DCARE builds an interdisciplinary network and training pipeline across engineering, computer science, biomaterials, and clinical orthopaedics, accelerating knowledge transfer and upskilling researchers for the next generation of personalised care technologies.

Key Facts

Programme / Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Staff Exchanges (Call: HORIZON-MSCA-SE-2024)
Project title: Sustainable orthopaedic solutions with AI-driven design and 3D printing for patient-specific CARE
Coordinator: National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece
Duration: 48 months (work plan spans M1–M48)
VELTION role: Coordinator (via NTUA/VELTION), WP lead for WP3 & WP8; contributor across WP1–WP7
Focus: AI-driven optimisation • digital twins • additive manufacturing • bioprinting • patient-centric validation • circular economy

Objectives

AI-driven design & optimisation

Develop AI-enhanced optimisation pipelines for patient-specific orthopaedic device design, leveraging simulation, topology/shape optimisation and data-driven models.

Materials & characterisation

Create material datasets and characterisation workflows (mechanical, fatigue, bio-compatibility) to support robust digital design and manufacturing decisions.

Patient needs, inclusivity & sex differences

Systematically capture patient expectations and clinical requirements through focus groups and studies, including inclusivity and sex-difference considerations.

ML-aided AM framework & digital twins

Integrate machine learning with additive manufacturing process planning and monitoring, enabling digital-twin-informed decision making across the design-to-production loop.

Bioprinted scaffold implants

Develop and validate personalised bioprinted scaffold implants addressing bone loss and complex fracture reconstruction challenges.

Patient-specific external orthoses

Design and prototype 3D printed corrective orthoses for musculoskeletal deformations with clinical relevance and user-centric evaluation.

Dissemination, exploitation & training

Maximise impact through open dissemination, higher-education learning tools, workshops, theses and targeted exploitation actions.

Consortium management & quality

Ensure effective coordination, quality management and risk mitigation across the international staff-exchange network.

Work Plan & VELTION Contribution

WP1 — Integrated Approach for Advanced Structural Design and Material Characterization

Lead: UOA-LAMSD | Months: M1–M28

Integrates advanced structural/device design concepts with material characterisation to underpin robust, sustainable patient-specific solutions.

WP2 — Patient expectations and demands, patient focus groups, inclusivity, sex differences

Lead: MATHESI | Months: M1–M28

Elicits patient expectations and clinical requirements through focus groups and studies, addressing inclusivity and sex-difference aspects.

WP3 — Development of the optimizations and machine learning aided additive manufacturing framework

Lead: NTUA | Months: M6–M36

Develops the core optimisation and machine-learning framework supporting end-to-end additive manufacturing workflows and digital twins.

WP4 — Bioprinting personalized scaffold implants to address the problem of bone loss

Lead: UOA-MED | Months: M19–M48

Bioprints personalised scaffold implants addressing bone loss, integrating design, biomaterials and validation needs.

WP5 — Bioprinting personalized scaffold implants to address difficult reconstruction for interposthetic fractures

Lead: ULEEDS | Months: M19–M48

Bioprints personalised scaffold implants for difficult reconstructions (interprosthetic fractures), advancing translational biofabrication.

WP6 — 3D printed patient-specific external corrective orthosis for muscular skeletal deformations

Lead: MUP | Months: M19–M48

Designs and prototypes 3D printed patient-specific external corrective orthoses for musculoskeletal deformations and clinical pathways.

WP7 — Dissemination & Exploitation - A learning tool for higher Education, diploma theses, seminars, and an international conference on the subject

Lead: INFERSENCE | Months: M1–M48

Delivers dissemination and exploitation actions, including learning tools for higher education, workshops, theses, seminars and community building.

WP8 — Project Management and Coordination

Lead: NTUA | Months: M1–M48

Project management, coordination, quality assurance and risk management across all partners and secondments.

VELTION / NTUA contribution

Lead WP3: optimisation + ML-aided additive manufacturing framework and integration of digital-twin workflows.
Lead WP8: overall coordination, quality assurance, reporting and risk management.
Contribute across WP1–WP7: optimisation methods, simulation and digital modelling, data/AI pipelines, and cross-partner training through staff exchanges.
Support dissemination: scientific publications, open educational material and joint events with partners.

Consortium

3DCARE brings together complementary expertise across engineering, AI/ML, biomaterials, biofabrication and clinical orthopaedics, enabled through MSCA Staff Exchanges.

Coordinator (NTUA, Greece)

National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Project coordination and management; AI-driven design and optimisation; lead WP3 & WP8.

University of Leeds (ULEEDS, UK)

Biomaterials and biofabrication expertise; lead WP5; contributes to patient-focused requirements and validation pathways.

Medical University of Plovdiv (MUP, Bulgaria)

Clinical and orthopaedic expertise; lead WP6; supports validation and clinical relevance of patient-specific orthoses.

University of Athens – School of Medicine (UOA-MED, Greece)

Medical research and clinical translation; lead WP4 on personalised bioprinted scaffold implants for bone loss.

University of Athens – LAMSD (UOA-LAMSD, Greece)

Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Structures and Digitalisation; lead WP1; materials/structures research and computational frameworks.

INFERSENCE (Greece, SME)

Industry partner; lead WP7; dissemination & exploitation, learning tools, workshops and community building; AI-driven tool development.

MATHESI (partner)

Lead WP2; patient focus groups, inclusivity and sex-difference aspects; supports multi-criteria optimisation activities.

INS (partner)

Sustainability and lifecycle/environmental assessment contributions supporting cross-WP decision making.

Results, Deliverables & Engagement

Key outputs include software prototypes and optimisation workflows, validated manufacturing approaches, personalised (bio)printed demonstrators, and a strong dissemination programme (publications, events and educational material).

Staff exchanges snapshot

Planned exchanges: 21 secondment flows totalling ~360 person-months across the consortium.

Scientific deliverables (proposal list)

ID	Title	WP	Lead	Type	Dissemination	Due
D1.1	Software Prototype for NTSDO	WP1	NTUA	OTHER	SEN	M18
D2.1	Comprehensive Report on Patient Needs and Inclusivity in Orthopaedic Care	WP2	ULEEDS	R	PU	M24
D3.1	Validated Optimization Framework	WP3	INF	OTHER	SEN	M30
D3.2	Case Study Report and Prototypes	WP3	UOA	R	SEN	M36
D4.1	Comprehensive Evaluation Report on Bioprinted Scaffold Implants	WP4	ULEEDS	R	PU	M42
D4.2	Case Study Report and Prototypes	WP4	MATHESI	R	PU	M40
D5.1	Patient-Specific Virtual Surgical Plan and Implant Design Package	WP5	INS	R	PU	M46
D6.1	Report on Optimized Orthopaedic Devices	WP6	UOA-MED	R	PU	M48
D7.1	3DCARE Website	WP7	UOA	R	PU	M2
D7.2	Plan for the dissemination and exploitation of results, including communication activities	WP7	INF	OTHER	PU	M6
D8.1	Data management plan – Version 1	WP8	NTUA	DMP	SEN	M6
D8.2	Progress Report	WP8	NTUA	R	SEN	M13
D8.3	Mid-term Meeting	WP8	NTUA	R	SEN	M14
D8.4	Data management plan – Version 2	WP8	NTUA	DMP	SEN	M24

Communication & dissemination targets

Publications on open access Journals: 12 • Social media posts: 150
Articles in technical papers, magazines: 5 • # of unique online views (website, social media): 10,000
Presentation in scientific conferences & trade fairs: 10 • Number of views of video: 5,000
Workshops in scientific conferences & trade fairs: 2 • Number of professionals to distribute leaflets: 1,000

Planned trade fairs / events (proposal list)

Event	Location	Periodicity	Visitors	Scope
Orto Medical Care	Spain	Yearly	10.000	International
MEDICA	Germany	Yearly	20.000	International
3D Print Congress & Exhibition	France	Yearly	10.000	International
Participation in conferences	Periodicity	Journals	Journals	Journals
World Orthopedics Conference	Annual	Journal of Orthopaedics	Journal of Orthopaedic Science	Journal of Orthopaedic Science
World Conference on Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (WCOSMR)	Annual	Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics	Annals of 3D Printed Medicine	Annals of 3D Printed Medicine
3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing	Annual	Medical Engineering and Physics	Additive Manufacturing	Additive Manufacturing
International Conference on Orthopedics Arthroplasty and Rheumatology (ICOAR)	Annual	Progress in Additive Manufacturing	Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research	Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research
Interdisciplinary Conference on Orthopedic Value-Based Care	Annual	Rehabilitación	Rapid Prototyping Journal	Rapid Prototyping Journal

Risks & mitigation (high-level)

R1: Delays in planned secondments (Low/Low). (WPs: WP1 to WP7) — Mitigation: The project timeline includes contingency periods for secondments to accommodate minor delays. Backup candidates for secondment roles will ensure swift replacement. Pre-secondment preparation will ensure participants…
R2: Loss of critical staff or partners during the project (Low/Medium). (WPs: WP1 to WP7) — Mitigation: The consortium has a diverse team with overlapping expertise to substitute individuals if necessary. Partnerships within the consortium allow for reassignment of responsibilities. Recruitment mechanisms within…
R3: Communication and collaboration issues among consortium partners (Medium/Low). (WPs: WP1 to WP7) — Mitigation: The Project Coordinator will establish clear communication protocols and conflict-resolution mechanisms. Regular meetings and bilateral discussions will ensure alignment and address misunderstandings promptly.
R4: Critical technological developments fail to meet requirements (Medium/Medium). (WPs: WP1 to WP7) — Mitigation: Set partial checkpoints for technological progress to detect early-stage issues. Monitor alternative solutions and adapt development strategies as necessary to ensure project objectives are met.
R5: Challenges in synthesizing or integrating advanced materials (Medium/Medium). (WPs: WP1, WP4) — Mitigation: Diversify research strategies to explore alternative materials and methods. Collaborate with material suppliers to refine processes. Allocate contingency resources for iterative testing and adjustments.
R6: Scalability issues in additive manufacturing (Medium/High). (WPs: WP3, WP4) — Mitigation: Conduct pilot testing to identify bottlenecks in scalability. Collaborate with industrial partners experienced in scaling AM processes. Incorporate scalability requirements into initial design criteria.
R7: Interoperability challenges with existing digital platforms (Low/Medium). (WPs: WP5) — Mitigation: Standardize data formats and protocols during early development. Conduct compatibility testing with representative industrial systems to ensure seamless integration.
R8: Delays in prototype validation and demonstration (Medium/Medium). (WPs: WP6) — Mitigation: Plan validation timelines conservatively, ensuring early-stage feedback. Establish rapid feedback mechanisms to address issues promptly during validation.
R9: Limited engagement in dissemination activities (Medium/Medium). (WPs: WP7) — Mitigation: Develop targeted communication strategies tailored to different stakeholder groups. Use interactive workshops, surveys, and digital platforms to increase outreach effectiveness. Allocate resources to enhance…
R10: Operational risks due to lack of collaboration or personnel changes (Low/Low). (WPs: WP1 to WP7) — Mitigation: The partners' extensive experience with large-scale projects ensures smooth operations. The management structure allows for direct communication, and flexible resource allocation will address any collaboration gaps…

Figures from the proposal

3DCARE figure — Closed-loop workflow and sustainability considerations (proposal figure).