START of the BIO-ITA-3D-SWISS INTERREG PROJECT
09/04/2025
Author: Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino
We are pleased to announce the start of the project BIO-ITA-3D-SWISS, operation funded by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund, by Italy, Rotation fund, by the Swiss Confederation and the Canton Ticino within the in the Interreg cross-border program Interreg VI-A Italy-Switzerland. The official kick-off meeting was held on March 18th, 2025 in Gerenzano (VA) hosted by “Fondazione Istituto Insubrico di Ricerca per la Vita” (FIIRV).
The project goal is to develop medical devices with innovative 3D-printed biomaterials, functionalized with natural antimicrobial compounds to help bone regeneration and to fight bacterial infections in orthopedics. The working group is composed of an Italian-Swiss consortium.
The Italian leader is FIIRV with IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio (OGSA) and “Università degli Studi dell’Insubria” as partners.
FIIRV will be responsible for optimizing and scaling up the fermentation process as well as the production of the natural antimicrobial compounds starting from already tested bacterial strains. Those strains will be fully characterized by Università degli Studi dell’Insubria to increase their productivity. IRCCS will test those antimicrobial compounds first in vitro followed by preclinical in vivo testing in orthopedic infections.
The Swiss leader is “Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale” (EOC) with Swiss Stem Cells Biotech AG (Vacallo site) and the Life Sciences Competence Center (LSCC) part of Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino, as partners.
EOC will design, develop and prototype the medical devices, printed in 3D using innovative biopolymers. All data generated will be collected by Swiss Stem Cells Biotech AG for regulatory purposes. LSCC will be responsible for result dissemination in Switzerland, in Italy and abroad.