CECIMO, the ‘European association for additive manufacturing’, has been requested by the European Commission to ask its members for help in producing equipment (such as valves and ventilators) that hospitals are lacking due to the Coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

CECIMO (www.cecimo.eu) says that the response from members has been very positive, with many companies from the European 3-D printing industry volunteering the use of their machines.

However, from a regulatory point of view, there are some legal constraints that can hamper the full implementation of such solutions, and it has been suggested that member states should consider temporarily waiving some of the Medical Device Directive requirements during this period of crisis.

Filip Geerts, CECIMO director general, said: “I believe that the additive-manufacturing sector can play an important role in sustaining the effort of hospital workers in the middle of this emergency.

"However, it is in the best interest of all to clarify the regulatory issues in order to move forward quickly — and in a way that is not going to delay immediate actions.”

Companies wanting to be part of this initiative should contact Filip Geerts () or policy innovation manager Vincenzo Belletti ().