Empower3D Competition to support creativity and problem-solving skills

Primary school students from four schools across Ireland have been recognised for their creativity and problem-solving skills as winners of Empower3D, Stryker’s national 3D printing design challenge that fosters STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning in classrooms. Formerly known as Manufacturing a Healthy Future, the programme places sustainability at its core and challenges students to design practical solutions to real-world issues within their school communities using 3D printing technology.

Marking the end of the school year and the 2025/2026 programme, Cork primary schools St. Catherine’s National School, Bishopstown and Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown, as well as Newport Convent Primary School, County Tipperary and Aston Village Educate Together National School, County Louth were named winners across two award categories – Best Sustainable Design and Best Learning Journey.

Empower3D Competition for Irish schools

Led by Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, in partnership with I-Form, Research Ireland’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, Empower3D has been equipping primary school teachers with the 3D printing tools, training and confidence to bring advanced manufacturing technology into the classroom since 2021. Throughout the programme’s lifetime, more than 160 teachers and over 3,200 students in Ireland have participated, including more than 500 students from DEIS schools.

As part of the programme, Stryker visited St. Catherine’s National School in Bishopstown to present their award in person and see the students’ 3D printing projects in action. Throughout the month of June, students from the winning schools also had the opportunity to visit Stryker’s manufacturing facility in Anngrove, County Cork to experience first-hand the innovative work underway in additive manufacturing.

Speaking about Stryker’s longstanding involvement in the programme, Mag O’Keeffe, Vice President, Advanced Operations (NPI) and Global Additive Technologies at Stryker, said: “Empower3D reflects Stryker’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and meaningful community engagement. The creativity shown by students, and the way their ideas are brought to life through 3D printing, is incredibly inspiring. What stands out most is not just the quality of the final designs, but the level of curiosity, teamwork and problem-solving demonstrated throughout the process.

By introducing students to advanced manufacturing technologies early on, programmes like Empower3D help build confidence and show young people how their ideas can translate into real-world solutions. We are proud to support initiatives that inspire the next generation of engineers, innovators and makers.”

The winning entries showed strong creativity, teamwork and problem-solving, with students using design thinking to tackle everyday challenges in their schools. From early ideas through to testing and refining their designs, students were recognised not just for the final results, but for how they developed their ideas and improved them along the way.

Eimear Cummins, 6th Class Teacher, St Catherine’s National School, Bishopstown, County Cork, said: “We are incredibly proud of our students and the commitment they have shown throughout the Empower3D programme. From the outset, they fully embraced the challenge of identifying real issues within their school environment and working collaboratively to develop practical solutions, including their winning entry, Lunch Box Clip. For many of them, this was their first experience of 3D design and printing, and it has been remarkable to see how quickly they developed their skills, confidence and creativity. The process encouraged them to think critically, test their ideas and learn from each stage of development.”

The competition forms part of a wider European initiative funded through the Erasmus+ Programme, the EU’s?programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.

As long-term supporters of the programme, Stryker and I-Form have continually evolved their approach to STEM education. Their scientists and engineers work closely with teachers, providing technical guidance, judging entries and supporting schools through investment in educational technology. Through this support, the programme is helping to build a future talent pipeline by fostering interest in STEM, while also promoting greater diversity and helping to reduce gender disparities across the sector.

Michael Golden, Education and Public Engagement Manager at I-Form, said: “Empower3D is about building curiosity, confidence and capability in STEM from an early age. By giving students hands-on access to technologies like 3D printing, the programme helps them see how their ideas can translate into real-world solutions, while also encouraging more young people to see themselves as future innovators and engineers.”
Since launching in 2021, the programme has been offered to teachers and pupils in schools across Europe, including in Ireland, France, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Czechia and Greece, with over 500 teachers and 8,000 students engaged. The current project partners are Stryker and I-Form at University College Dublin in Ireland, Arts et Metier Institute of Technology (ENSAM) in France and Masaryk University in Czechia.

About Stryker

Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better. We offer innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology and Orthopaedics that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside our customers around the world, we impact more than 150 million patients annually. More information is available at www.stryker.com.

About I-Form

I-Form is the Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. Its mission is to shape the future of manufacturing through high-impact research into the application of digital technologies to materials processing. I-Form works in close collaboration with industry partners to ensure that its research is relevant, applicable and impactful, delivering a step-change in competitiveness for Irish manufacturing. I-Form aims to be globally recognised as a leading centre in advanced manufacturing research.

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