Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is an ever-growing industry.

The Turku economic region has rapidly emerged as a major player in the industrial and medical additive manufacturing sectors. This website aims to reinforce this growth and bring together experts, professionals, universities and researchers.

What is TICAM?

TICAM, the Turku Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing, is an innovation centre built on the foundation of the Additive Manufacturing Seminar Days held in spring 2022. TICAM is also built on top of the former MMAM infrastructure cluster.

The advent of additive manufacturing (generally known as 3D printing) will require different design and technical competencies from those used today. Production methods are changing, as is the need for digital products and replicas. From industries’ point of view, a key issue is to educate competent professionals (undergraduates AND those already in the workforce) with expertise in the new manufacturing methods.

The Multicomponent Materials Centre of Expertise for Additive Manufacturing (MMAM) will establish and define the Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) and partners as forerunners in the field of biomaterials science and its application in additive manufacturing. This will inherently strengthen the regional and national business competitiveness, while contributing to capacity building in the area. The MMAM Centre of Expertise specifically aims to strengthen, combine and enhance regional collaboration and excellence in the fields of additive manufacturing, medicine, dentistry, drug delivery and biomaterials through the creation of an RDI (Research, Development & Innovation) collaboration platform.

TUAS’ will combine traditional manufacturing skills with additive manufacturing, chemical engineering and dental technology, in cooperation with partners from the University of Turku and Åbo Akademy University. The partners key researchers Pekka Vallittu and Niklas Sandler played a significant role already in the preparation phase of the centre. The combined knowledge will promote the development and research of new material combinations and 3D production processes (including initial product design) that will benefit the large ecosystem of regional HEIs and industrial partners.