3D print firm in pioneering NHS project wins £860k backing

A Burnley company which is pioneering the use of 3D printing to produce made-to-measure insoles for the NHS has secured a £860,000 investment from The North West Fund for Venture Capital and Lancashire’s Rosebud Fund.

The process will replace the traditional hand-made techniques and could revolutionise the way the NHS buys orthotics and other products.

Using 3D printing – or additive manufacturing as it is also known – objects are created layer by layer to replicate an exact design. In addition to its work in the medical sector, FDM Digital manufactures components for the aerospace, engineering,automotive and motor sports industries.

Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Fund has provided £172,000 while The North West Fund for Venture Capital has invested £688,000. Both funds are managed by Enterprise Ventures. The North West Fund for Venture Capital is part of the £155m North West Fund and is financed jointly by the European Regional Development Fund and the EuropeanInvestment Bank.