On 11.09.23 - despite high summer temperatures - the 2nd event of the Digital Implant Innovation Forum, which is under the auspices of the Digital Health City Hannover and the NIFE, attracted more than 100 interested people to the NIFE. The 2nd event, "Next Generation Individualized Patient Solutions by Additive Manufacturing," was all about 3D printing as an ideal platform for personalized implant design such as customization to individual patient anatomy. The audience was treated to exciting technical presentations ranging from high-performance materials for additive manufacturing to biocompatibility of 3D printed constructs and the use and limitations of AI. In the afternoon, the Translational Center for Precision Medicine was presented in the presence of Frank Doods, State Secretary of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Transport, Building and Digitalization, Prof. Michael Manns, President of the MHH, and Prof. Holger Blume, Vice President of the LUH. The planned translational center is a unique project in Germany that Hannover Medical School is planning together with the NIFE research center and medical technology companies. A translational hub will comprehensively connect the clinics with basic research and the production of implants, so that patients can be supplied individually, quickly and with novel implants from the 3D printer. An estimated 1 million people in Germany alone receive an implant every year, and demand is rising in the wake of demographic change. By personalizing implants, their so-called "service life" (i.e. functional life in the patent) can be extended and even rehabilitation times shortened. This is made possible by the rapid advances in the field of biomaterials and additive manufacturing. In summary, the 2nd event of the Digital Implant Innovation Forum (DIIF) lecture series was also a great success and facilitated an excellent exchange between experts from different disciplines. The diverse discussions and presentations have opened up new perspectives. We would like to thank all participants, speakers and organizers for their contribution to this successful event. We are already looking forward to the next DIIF Symposium, which is expected to take place in December 2023 at NIFE and will provide a new opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas.
The DIIF Forum is dedicated to promoting expert:ing exchange and innovation in the field of smart and precision implants and digitalization in medicine.
