Lübeck, May 9, 2025 - The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-based Medical Engineering IMTE today officially opened its new testing laboratory for additive manufacturing in medicine. The official opening was performed by Julia Carstens, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Employment, Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, and the President of the University of Lübeck, Prof. Dr. Helge Braun.

A key highlight of the event: the laboratory was successfully accredited by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) in accordance with the internationally recognized ISO 17025 standard. This means that Fraunhofer IMTE is now authorized to provide test results with the highest accuracy and reliability - an important milestone for Schleswig-Holstein as a medical technology location.

Maximum precision is required in medical additive manufacturing, for example for implants, prostheses or patient-specific aids. Even the slightest deviations can have a significant impact on patient safety. Accreditation ensures that the results achieved in the test laboratory meet these high requirements and thus creates the basis for safe use in clinical practice.

"Personalization in healthcare can only succeed if new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing are reliably tested and validated. This is precisely where this laboratory comes in" emphasized State Secretary Julia Carstens in her welcoming address. She also highlighted the role of the Fraunhofer IMTE as a transfer center for medical technology.

Prof. Dr. Helge Braun was also convinced of the relevance of the new facility: “The close connection between the University of Lübeck and Fraunhofer IMTE enables the direct transfer of technology from excellent research to application - the new accredited testing infrastructure is an outstanding example of this.”

Prof. Dr. Thorsten M. Buzug, Director of Fraunhofer IMTE, emphasized the strategic importance: "Nothing is as exemplary for individualization in medical technology as additive manufacturing. But quality assurance is the key to implementation. With this test laboratory, we can now prove that exactly what was planned has been produced."

In future, the laboratory will not only be available to university research, but also to companies, clinics and other research institutions - a strong signal for innovation and quality in medical technology “Made in Schleswig-Holstein”.

Contact for the accredited test laboratory:

Dr. Thomas Friedrich
thomas.friedrich@imte.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering
Mönkhofer Weg 239a, 23562 Lübeck

Press Contact:

Sandy Bever
sandy.bever@imte.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering
Mönkhofer Weg 239a, 23562 Lübeck