South East Technological University (SETU) has been appointed to lead a new €400,000 European health tech education project focused on additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly referred to as 3D printing.

The AM-Heal project aims to bridge the gap between AM and healthcare education. The two-year Erasmus+ project is designed to strengthen AM skills for use at the intersection of healthcare and rehabilitation.

Working with partners in Spain, Malta, and Ukraine, the programme will be delivered through a blended approach, combining online learning via a multilingual e-learning platform with hands-on training in partner facilities. A dedicated 3D printing training hub in Kyiv will also be established to strengthen local capacity and support skills development linked to rehabilitation and recovery.

Through the Department of Engineering Technology at SETU’s Cork Road Campus, the University will guide the consortium process to define and validate the shared micro-credential specifications in line with European micro-credential principles. Each partner higher-education institution will deliver the micro-credential locally and award it under its own academic regulations and quality assurance procedures, ensuring consistent content while supporting local certification pathways across the consortium.

Announcing the project, Principal Investigator of AM-Heal at SETU, David Alarco, said AM-Heal will build expertise in design, materials and workflows, equipping learners with the knowledge required to apply AM effectively in rehabilitation contexts. The project will also produce open-access educational materials and research-informed policy recommendations to support safe and ethical adoption of AM in medical education and professional training.

“AM-Heal aims to strengthen professional education at the intersection of additive manufacturing and healthcare. Through a shared micro-credential and practical training, we want to support cross-sector collaboration, build capability, and help accelerate the safe, effective use of AM in rehabilitation and clinical education,” Mr Alarco said.

“This project builds on SETU’s additive manufacturing education capacity developed through the HCI-funded AMASE programme (2020–2025), in collaboration with SEAM and Design+ technological gateways. The existing 3D Lab in the Engineering, Technology and Research (ETRC) Centre at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford supports applied learning and project work in advanced manufacturing,” he added.

The project consortium brings together SETU, PODOGLOBAL and Associació Meraki Projectes de València in Spain, along with Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University in Ukraine, and the University of Malta.