With the intense development of related technologies, 3D printing has become one of the most important future industries in the world. Asia University (AU), together with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and China Medical University (CMU), the other day has signed an agreement of cooperation to establish a “3D Printing Research Center for Medical Applications” which is the first of its kind in Taiwan. AU Founder and the Director of CMU Board of Trustees, Dr. Chang-Hai Tsai, said that the Center will try to develop related technologies based on the newest innovative ideas, and design 3D-printable objects using biomedical materials.

The agreement was assigned by AU President Jing-Pha Tsai, CMU Hospital Director Der-Yang Cho, and Professor Ben Wang from Georgia Tech on September 7. The center will be set up in CMU, and Professor Wang will be invited to be the director of the center.

AU Founder Tsai said that USA President Obama proposed a so-called Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Project, aiming to develop 3D printing technologies as the first main goal, and that Professor Wang from Georgia Tech was invited to be the co-chair of the first conference on AMP in the USA. Founder Tsai also mentioned that recently the USA, Germany, Korea, and China all put great efforts on development of 3D printing technologies. Therefore, he said, AU will as well do the best to put various resources into the center, applying 3D printing to the areas of dentistry, medical modeling, and rehabilitation devices in the beginning, and then to the areas of stem cells, artificial organs, and regenerative medicine in the near future. “As long as being determined to go, it should be aimed to be an international-level center!” said Founder Tsai.

AU President Tsai said, “It is really leading-edge in this era to set up this kind of center.” He also mentioned that with the center set up, the Creative Design College at AU may apply the technologies developed by the center for creative commercial product design; and the Medical and Health Science College and the Information Science College may apply the technologies to biomedical material development.

Professor Wang from Georgia Tech mentioned that, under the leading of Obama Government, 15 large-scale research institutions for 3D printing technologies have been set up in America, hoping that the research results can keep the leading role of the USA in the areas of aviation, medicine, and so on, in the world. In Taiwan, AU has united with CMU to be a so-called China-Asia Associated University for various research and teaching cooperations, and has also signed agreements of R&D cooperations with National Chiao Tung University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, mentioned also Professor Wang. He hopes that AU together with these universities may have closer cooperations with medical institutions in Taiwan to develop 3D printing technologies intensively.

With this center set up, it is anticipated that AU will continue grow up its strength and competitiveness in academic circle in Taiwan and as well as in the world.