Episode #129: Medical 3D Printing Adoption in the EU with Naomi Nathan

Category: Blog,Influencer Interviews,podcast

Oct 04, 2026

Are we ready to commit to showing the value of 3D printing? Medical 3D printing is already used in hospitals, but turning individual success stories into systemic healthcare adoption takes more than the technology. Dr. Naomi Nathan, Head of the Healthcare Division at Mobility Goes Additive e.V. (MGA), knows what it will take to bring 3D printing into healthcare systems at scale. Nathan breaks down the challenges standing between innovation and adoption, from reimbursement and clinical evidence to regulation, procurement, and political commitment. Healthcare requires a long-term approach to investment. Europe’s decentralized healthcare systems make adoption particularly complex, and national clinical studies are needed to demonstrate patient and economic value. Nathan discusses MGA’s role in bringing together industry, hospitals, researchers, and policymakers to move medical 3D printing beyond isolated applications and toward broader healthcare adoption.

⚠️ Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed do not constitute engineering, medical, or financial advice. The technologies and procedures discussed may not be commercially available or suitable for every case. Always consult with a qualified professional.

About Our Guest:

Naomi Nathan is a trained medical doctor, public health specialist and business executive with over eleven years of experience across health policy, health systems strengthening, healthcare innovation, and now 3D printing for healthcare. She currently serves as Head of Healthcare Division at Mobility goes Additive e.V, a leading European network advancing additive manufacturing (3D printing) in healthcare, where she works with experts in working groups on various topics to bolster AM in healthcare, as well as policy positioning, evidence, and strategy, addressing various stakeholders including the European Parliament on their adoption. Previously, a Technical Officer/Consultant at the World Health Organization, she has worked on various health systems governance and policy initiatives with WHO/Europe member states, and stakeholders and served as secretariat member to the Pan European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development chaired by Mario Monti. Her interests centre on access to health innovation, at the intersection of emerging technologies with public health.

Key Topics

Dr. Naomi Nathan’s journey from medicine to public health and health economics

Mobility Goes Additive (MGA) and its expansion from mobility into healthcare

MGA’s European role and engagement with policymakers

Cross-sector learning between healthcare, rail, and additive manufacturing

Why Europe’s nationally governed healthcare systems complicate 3D-printing adoption

Moving medical 3D printing from technical capability to healthcare system adoption

Point-of-care 3D printing and the reimbursement challenge

Building clinical evidence through registries and multicenter studies

Regulation, procurement, and reimbursement as barriers to adoption

Creating pathways for healthcare innovation through the WHO

Policy commitment and investment needed to scale medical 3D printing

Communicating additive manufacturing’s value to policymakers

The reality of bioprinting and why “we are not printing organs yet”

The established role of 3D printing in orthopedic medical devices

MGA’s “collabor-action” approach and vision for the future of medical 3D printing

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Welcome And Quick Disclaimer
00:01:09 – From Medical Doctor To Systems
00:02:48 – What MGA Does And Why
00:08:37 – Why EU Healthcare Is Complex
00:11:00 – Hospitals And Point Of Care Printing
00:14:04 – Building Registries And Better Evidence
00:16:35 – Reimbursement As The Real Blocker
00:20:13 – When Innovation Outruns The System
00:21:54 – What Policymakers Must Commit To
00:28:38 – Startup Signals Bioprinting Reality Check
00:35:08 – MGA Strategy Collaboration With Action
00:38:36 – Five Year Vision And How To Join
00:42:43 – Closing Thanks And Full Disclaimer