30 Years of Materialise: Advancing Medical 3D Printing for Safer, Predictable Patient Outcomes

Leveraging medical image‑based population analysis software, anatomical engineers can now test new devices on hundreds of virtual patients and fabricate representative physical models. This approach dramatically surpasses traditional cadaver testing, accelerating innovation, improving device performance, and delivering proven benefits to patients.

Virtual patients cut product‑to‑market time by reducing design iterations, while the broader suite of tools enhances anatomical understanding and moves the medical field toward safer, more predictable outcomes.

Materialise founder and CEO Fried Vancraen holding one of the first anatomical models printed with Materialise Mimics.

As Materialise celebrates its 30th anniversary, we reflect on the company’s most meaningful innovations, beginning with our medical breakthroughs that underscore our commitment to a healthier world.

A Natural Pivot to Medicine

Founded in 1990 as a 3D‑printing service bureau, Materialise initially aimed to speed prototype iterations. Fried Vancraen soon recognized that the slicing algorithms used for 3D printing mirrored CT scan data, sparking the development of Materialise Mimics just two years later.

Mimics bridges medical imaging with 3D printing, enabling clinicians to create patient‑specific anatomical models, personalized implants, and surgical guides. Early applications included brain‑tumor surgery, where models helped surgeons plan precise, minimally invasive cuts.

Color stereolithography 3D anatomical model of a jaw, 1996.

Following anatomical models, Materialise expanded into 3D‑printed surgical guides for dentistry and later cranio‑maxillofacial procedures, translating virtual plans into accurate, patient‑specific tools.

Personalized surgical knee guides for precise cuts and tailored instrumentation.

Co‑Creation and Partnerships Driving Innovation

Mimics opened doors to a spectrum of solutions—anatomical models, dental and cranio‑maxillofacial guides, and personalized implants—that boosted clinician confidence and patient outcomes. Fried’s vision of co‑creation—bringing together diverse expertise—remains central. By licensing Mimics to other companies, Materialise has enabled partners to scale from R&D to high‑volume clinical production.

For instance, DePuy Synthes offers our personalized CMF implants through the TRUMATCH® CMF Solutions line, illustrating how our software can support turnkey product lifecycles.

“We strive to make medical 3D printing accessible to every researcher, engineer, and clinician through an open platform of software and services that personalize patient treatment.” – Fried Vancraen, CEO and Founder

CMF surgeon explaining a digital surgical plan to a patient with the help of a 3D‑printed anatomical model.

Present‑Day Evolution

Today’s innovations include 3D planning, virtual patients, point‑of‑care 3D printing, and AI‑enhanced pre‑operative planning. Virtual patients, now standard in orthopedic implant development, predict patient responses, reducing time and cost while improving communication between surgeons and engineers.

A notable example is DJO Surgical’s Exprt® Revision Hip, which leveraged virtual patients to refine implant fit across diverse bone anatomies, streamlining validation and accelerating market entry.

During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Materialise’s R&D and design teams collaborated with clinicians to produce a 3D‑printed NIP connector—linking a mask, air filter, and PEEP valve—offering a non‑invasive alternative to intubation. The solution, now under clinical trial at UZ Leuven, demonstrates how our expertise can rapidly address emergent healthcare needs.

Materialise’s NIP mask provides a non‑invasive bridge to ventilators during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

New Shared Horizons to Come

Materialise continues to champion personalized care through process automation and deeper integration into the digital health ecosystem. As we forge new collaborations, we aim to bring predictability, reduce risk, and improve patient care worldwide. After three decades of meaningful medical applications, we proudly look back at how our technology has positively impacted countless lives.