KPI's innovative ecosystem with investments of over $700,000: how the university's Science Park develops additive technologies for prosthetics and helps veterans obtain a new education

KPI innovation ecosystem

In 2023, the KOLO charitable foundation, together with Parashar Industries (the only manufacturer of composite lower limb prostheses in Ukraine at that time) and the “Without Limits” network of rehabilitation centers, approached Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

They needed specialists who could design and model parts, as well as specialists in rehabilitation and prosthetics. There was also a separate request for the development of the prosthetics direction in general, because in Ukraine there is no closed cycle of prosthetics production, only individual components.

Thus, the Educational and Innovative Center for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation was established at the university. It was planned to work in the laboratory using traditional methods: making plaster casts and using them to manufacture carbon stump receivers.

"When we started to research the issue, it became clear that the traditional method takes a lot of time, does not cope with the rapidly growing demand, and therefore something faster is needed. That is, we saw the need to develop new technologies for manufacturing stump receivers and, accordingly, the need for a center that would be responsible for the scientific component of this process," Nataliya Seminska, director of the Sikorsky Challenge Additive Technologies Science Park, told dev.ua.

Therefore, the logical step was to create the Additive Technologies Science Park. It was 2024.

"We began to convince everyone that 3D technologies can and should be used to print parts for prostheses. While our founders were searching for the necessary equipment that would allow us to print stump receivers in industrial conditions, we were simultaneously improving the qualifications of prosthetic rehabilitation specialists, adaptive trainers, and military psychologists," added the park director.

The Additive Technologies Science Park was officially opened in May 2025.

Thus, KPI has created an innovative ecosystem that combines education, science, technology, medical engineering, and veteran support. It includes:

• Educational and innovative center for prosthetics and rehabilitation, which trains specialists: prosthetists, psychologists, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists;
• Additive Technology Science Park, which is responsible for the development and implementation of technologies;
• An educational and scientific laboratory for prosthetics, medical rehabilitation, and occupational therapy, which will begin operating in December of this year at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering.

The launch of the center, science park, and laboratory was funded by donors who invested over $700,000. And this is just direct investment. There is also equipment that donors purchased themselves or transferred on a free-of-charge basis.

Additive Technology Science Park

The park has a Supervisory Board, which includes representatives of the founders - Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the Sikorsky Challenge innovation holding, the KOLO charitable foundation, and the Genesis Logistic company.

There are also sponsor companies whose funds were used to purchase equipment: OLX, EPAM, OBRIO, appflame, and the Genesis for Ukraine fund.

Currently, the park has an industrial 3D printing complex worth over UAH 20 million, a 3D scanner and printer for printing prototypes and training. There is also a 3D printer farm based on the rehabilitation and prosthetics center.

If we talk about the industrial complex, then among universities, only KPI has machines of this level. And in general, in Ukraine there are only two of them that are used to print components for prosthetics.

The park is staffed by 10 employees — process engineers and additive technology engineers. In addition to KPI teachers, there are three students from the Igor Sikorsky KPI Institute of Mechanical Engineering. They are future engineers who are engaged in modeling, mastering scanning skills, and working on their own projects.

The main areas of work of the additive technologies science park:

• medical and biotechnological modeling (printing anatomical models using CT or MRI; modeling implants or surgical templates; creating educational medical models);
• materials science research (analysis of material properties for additive manufacturing; testing of mechanical properties of printed products);
• engineering (development of new products, devices or tools; design of individual technical solutions; collaboration with enterprises);
• 3D scanning, modeling;
• 3D printing;
• science and education (conducting trainings and master classes on 3D printing; courses in modeling, design, engineering; student projects and internships; supporting scientific research in the field of materials science, bioengineering, medicine, etc.).

Everything the science park does for veterans is free and covered by the founders and donors.

“At this stage, the park has a social mission: to create solutions for prosthetics through the use and development of additive technologies,” explained Natalia Seminska.

Prosthesis

The peculiarity of the park is that it is focused on one direction - printing components for prostheses on a 3D printer, in particular stump receivers.

Separately, orthoses are printed at the request of veterans. This is done within the framework of a partnership with hospitals: they receive a request, the park's specialists arrive, scan, model, and print the orthosis.

It takes about a week to make one orthosis, and the cost, for example, for a lower limb can reach 5,000–8,000 UAH, but for veterans it is free.

"So far, our orthoses are research samples, but we are already going through technical regulations and expect that from February 2026 we will be in the state register as a manufacturer of orthoses," added the director of the Science Park.

Also, crutch holders, joysticks, accessories for drying liners for stump receivers, etc. were modeled and printed upon specific requests.

The park has agreements with hospitals, the Superhumans rehabilitation center, Ukrprotez, Bez objekten, Esper, U+. All supplies that the science park makes for the wounded are given to them free of charge.

In total, since September — the time when the park became actively operational — 30 research samples of orthoses and occupational therapy equipment have been created. They are also currently working on modeling 10 stump receivers with subsequent printing.

Veterans training

The Science Park is also a training ground for veterans. Currently, two groups of 33 military personnel, some of whom are amputees and wear prosthetics, are studying at the Science Park . They are studying in two master's degree programs:

• applied mechanics, certificate program "Additive Technologies in Prosthetics";
• biomedical engineering, certificate program "Medical Engineering in Prosthetics".

This is a pilot project that aims not only to provide veterans with a second education, but also to employ them either in rehabilitation centers or in companies specializing in 3D printing. The program is implemented by the Genesis for Ukraine Foundation with funding from the IT product company appflame.

Educational platform for students

The science park provides infrastructure for the Adex community group. These are 15 students from different faculties of KPI who study 3D modeling as an elective, participate in scientific conferences, and develop startups outside of the main curriculum. They make prototypes of their works on the basis of the science park.

"The Additive Technologies Science Park is open to students: if they come with ideas for startups, our scientists help them develop and implement them, and we also provide consultations on the intellectual property of inventions. Students who need to print prototypes for their bachelor's and master's theses also apply - the science park provides them with materials and equipment," said Natalia Seminska.

Plans: cooperation with medical institutions, technology patents and software development

In the future, the park plans to establish work with medical institutions, namely to teach doctors how to scan limbs so that specialists can then receive a point cloud and immediately begin modeling.

In addition, they plan to obtain patents for technologies developed by the park's scientists: technology for manufacturing upper and lower limbs, prosthetic overlays, and occupational therapy equipment - up to 5 patents.

They will also continue to develop software for modeling stump receivers, manufacturing overlays, orthoses, and other rehabilitation tools.

We remind you that the Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Digital Affairs, is developing a new legal regime for Science.City , which aims to transform science parks into modern innovation centers.

The largest Science Park in Ukraine is SID City of the Lviv Polytechnic National University . This year it celebrated its 5th anniversary. During this time, more than 40 international and regional projects have been implemented, $6 million in investments have been attracted, and the cooperation network includes more than 100 companies, organizations, institutions, universities, and government agencies from various fields and countries.

In addition, the Zhytomyr Polytechnic Science Park operates in Ukraine, registered in August 2023. The park is operationally developing at the expense of its own revenues: as of December 2024, its income reached UAH 3 million.

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