Stryker and I-Form Partnership Inspiring Limerick Primary Schools Through 3D Printing Initiative

Stryker and I-Form Partnership Inspiring Limerick Primary Schools Through 3D Printing Initiative. Stryker’s high-tech manufacturing facility in Limerick provided primary school teachers from six schools with an interactive three-day training course on incorporating 3D printing learning into primary classroom environments

‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ partnership between Stryker and I-Form enhances STEM skills and promotes sustainability in primary schools

Stryker, a global leader in medical technology, and I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, have partnered to support STEM and manufacturing education in primary schools across Limerick. 

This month, Stryker’s high-tech manufacturing facility in Limerick provided primary school teachers from six schools with an interactive three-day training course on incorporating 3D printing learning into primary classroom environments. The hands-on training highlights Stryker’s and I-Form‘s commitment to empowering educators with STEM skills and inspiring Ireland’s next generation of young engineers. To date, 78 teachers and over 1,300 pupils in Ireland have benefited from participating in the ‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ programme. 

Albert Cummins, Director of Operations at Stryker in Limerick, presented to the teachers about careers in manufacturing and discussed Stryker’s global impact. The teachers were given an extensive tour of the high-tech facility. In addition to hosting the training course, Stryker donated six 3D printers to the participating schools. This donation will enable the schools to enhance STEM learning within their classrooms when the new school year begins in September. 

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Mag O’Keeffe, VP of Global Additive Technologies at Stryker, said, “It is impressive how dedicated these teachers are, giving their time during the summer break to learn new skills and spark an interest in STEM subjects in Limerick’s classrooms. Over the past three years, this program has gone from strength to strength, and the feedback from the students emphasises the importance and value of giving children hands-on STEM education in the classroom at an early age. At Stryker, we are committed to providing, supporting and inspiring the next generation of creators, innovators and trailblazers to achieve our mission of making healthcare better”.

Since 2021, I-Form, based at University College Dublin, and Stryker, with manufacturing operations across Ireland including Limerick and Cork, have collaborated to introduce manufacturing technology into primary school classrooms through the ‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ programme. 

Professor Denis Dowling, Director of the I-Form Research Centre, said “One of the key outcomes of this EIT funded programme is that through the use of 3D printing, primary school pupils see first-hand the practical benefits of a manufacturing technology. This will hopefully encourage them to consider science subjects as they enter secondary school”.

The six schools which participated and benefitted from the three-day training course were:

1. Our Lady’s Abbey, Adare, Limerick
2. Scoil Naomh Iósaf, Adare, Limerick
3. Catherine McAuley Special School, Courtbrack, Limerick
4. Ballymartin National School, Croom, Limerick
5. St Mary’s National School, Croom, Limerick
6. Scoil Chlochair Mhuire, Carrigtwohill, Cork

The ‘Manufacturing a Healthy Future’ program is part of a European funded programme by EIT-Manufacturing, and provides STEM learning for teachers and pupils in schools across Europe, including in France, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary and Greece. Over its first three years, the project’s key achievements include:

• Trained 223 teachers across five countries in 3D design and printing (including 78 teachers and over 1,300 pupils in Ireland). 
• Engaged with over 4,500 primary school children in five countries.

About Stryker:

Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Stryker has eight sites in Ireland employing over 5,800 people across Limerick, Cork and Belfast.