Stryker is the industry partner driving the ‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ programme. This is an EU-funded programme and STEM initiative, supported by EIT Manufacturing. Stryker supports research and education partner with I-Form on this project. I-Form is the world-leading Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing.

This innovative initiative is helping to foster STEM skills within primary school classrooms across Ireland and Europe. Stryker and I-Form create and deploy training materials for primary school teachers in model design and 3D printing; sponsor and support the provision of 3D printers to the schools of participating teachers; and encourage the creative application of these skills through annual product design competitions between schools who wish to sign up for the challenge.

‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ is addressing STEM skills shortages by developing the future talent pipeline at an early educational stage, with children as young as 7 participating in the competition, as well as driving diversity within STEM by providing accessible routes through this learning opportunity.

Stryker and I-Form aim to address the gender gap in STEM by instilling in these young students and their teachers that STEM is for everyone, irrespective of their background, experience, or other influencing factors.

So far, this program has trained over 350 teachers across 6 countries in designing for and manufacturing through 3D printing.

The 'Manufacturing a Healthy Future' initiative has expanded since its establishment in 2021. Over 6,000 primary school children in six countries have engaged with the project, with over 2,000 students in Ireland alone - over 500 of which were in a DEIS school.