3D initiative is a non-profit association that aims to mobilize all the means of additive manufacturing available in France to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Founded during the crisis period, this association was the result of a twofold observation. On the one hand, the medical profession testifies to numerous material needs, in particular for scarce protective equipment and other essential accessories. On the other hand, many initiatives are emerging in terms of 3D printing to provide this material support to hospitals and these actions need to be coordinated to be effective.

The founders of Initiative 3D, Aurélien Ynden, Eva Roger and Thomas Lesage, have combined their skills and determination to connect hospitals that have concrete needs with suppliers capable of printing visors or other strategic accessories.

This chain of solidarity could not have been created without a multitude of actors. Indeed, Initiative 3D has been able to bring together different types of suppliers: industrial groups, laboratories, universities, fablabs, but also individuals. This panel of “makers” was able to be mobilized thanks to the professional and personal network of each member of the team, but also thanks to initiatives launched on social networks.

In addition, Initiative 3D has a design office that allows it to provide all of its suppliers with numerous documentation in order to support them in their production efforts. This design office relies on the know-how and resources of the SupMeca school and its Junior Entreprise (from which Aurélien and Eva belong) and which mobilize students and engineers for the production of these documentation. This device allows Initiative 3D to design new solutions to meet the specific needs of doctors.

Initiative 3D is the witness of a real surge of European solidarity. In recent weeks, the source files needed to print visors have been made available to as many people as possible, by the Swedish company behind their manufacture. In addition, an Italian company, with a role similar to that of Initiative 3D in supporting medical personnel, played a major role in advising the association to enable it to better understand the logistics necessary for the production and distribution of this type of auxiliary medical equipment.

The entire Initiative 3D production network is currently capable of producing and distributing 1500 visors per week. Since April 6, the association has been able to deliver 100 protective visors to caregivers at Tenon Hospital in Paris and 300 to Saint-Denis Hospital. In addition, 385 visors were distributed in a single day to 7 different establishments in Île-de-France: the Créteil Medical Center, the Champeval Medical Center, the Sainte-Anne Hospital and the Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris and to 3 nursing homes in Paris and to 3 nursing homes in the Île-de-France region.

At the same time, the association's design office is collaborating with a pool of hospitals in Île-de-France to develop methods for 3D printing other medical devices and thus try to make up for the lack of ventilators and other consumables.

Requests from other regions reach them every week and the association makes every effort to respond as soon as possible.

In order to finance the purchase of the raw materials necessary for the operation of Initiative 3D, the association has put online a fundraiser open to all.

If you want to join the initiative by helping or making a donation, go to https://www.initiative-3d.org/home. Also, if you want to share news or keep up to date with Initiative 3D's actions, you can join them on Linkedin and twitter.

The Initiative 3D team is determined to meet hospital needs throughout the crisis and will maintain its action as long as they are requested by health services.