The Portuguese Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP) has formalised a strategic agreement with the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), building on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2025. The new Collaboration Agreement establishes a long-term framework for scientific cooperation in additive manufacturing (AM), encompassing joint research, advanced researcher mobility, and integrated doctoral training in priority areas for both institutions.
“The signing of this protocol with NTU represents a decisive step in FEUP’s international affirmation in additive manufacturing. This collaboration allows us to integrate a transcontinental scientific ecosystem, combining FEUP’s strengths — from sustainable materials to advanced design, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence — with SC3DP’s world-class infrastructure and strong industry ties,” said FEUP Director Rui Calçada.
Launch of ADAPT and Joint Workshop
The agreement was celebrated during the “Additive Manufacturing Processes and Technologies” workshop at FEUP, attended by Rector António Sousa Pereira, NTU Vice-President for Industry Khin Yong Lam, SC3DP Executive Director Paulo Bártolo, and FEUP Associate Director for Internationalisation Gil Gonçalves.
The workshop also introduced ADAPT – Advanced Doctoral Programme in Additive Manufacturing Processes and Technologies, designed to train researchers in areas including sustainable and functional materials, automation and intelligent process control, generative design, digital twins, explainable AI, and sustainability in additive manufacturing.
ADAPT tackles the usual fragmentation in AM research by combining expertise in materials, processes, and digitalisation across five focus areas: advanced materials, process engineering, generative design and topological optimisation, sustainability, and AI. The programme also engages industrial partners from Portugal and Singapore to support technology transfer and practical innovation.
Global Mobility and Research Impact
The Collaboration Agreement also frames FEUP’s participation in the Singapore Research Attachment Programme (SRAP), under which NTU will host six to ten FEUP doctoral students from 2026 to 2029 for one- to two-year research internships, providing access to world-class laboratories and strong connections with Singapore’s industrial ecosystem.
“This agreement creates a framework for advanced mobility for our doctoral students, strengthens joint research networks, and positions FEUP within a global consortium of excellence in additive manufacturing. Through ADAPT, we promote interdisciplinary training in critical STEM areas, reinforcing FEUP’s integration into highly competitive international contexts and expanding the visibility and impact of our research worldwide,” said FEUP Associate Director for Internationalisation, Gil Gonçalves.
Global Training and Education in Advanced 3D Printing
FEUP and NTU’s ADAPT programme exemplifies how universities are shaping the next generation of talent in additive manufacturing. Similar initiatives are emerging worldwide. In the United States, the Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America) partnered with the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Guam to establish a satellite campus focused on additive manufacturing. The program aims to train a new talent base to support both civilian industries and U.S. defense applications, combining Mines’ expertise in mechanical and manufacturing engineering with Guam’s foundational coursework. Neal Orringer, president of ASTRO America, highlighted that the collaboration “brings a premier engineering program to the island while supporting a strategic workforce need for the U.S. Navy’s maritime industrial base and beyond.”
In Europe, EOS, the Munich-based 3D printing company, launched a Metal Additive Manufacturing Master Class in partnership with NASA through the EOS Additive Minds Academy. Launched in November 2025, the program provides engineers, researchers, and industry professionals with hands-on training in industrial metal 3D printing, including build job development, post-processing, and laboratory testing. Graduates receive a certificate validating their expertise in advanced metal AM techniques, bridging academic knowledge with industry-ready skills.
The 3D Printing Industry Awards are back. Make your nominations now.
Do you operate a 3D printing start-up? Reach readers, potential investors, and customers with the 3D Printing Industry Start-up of Year competition.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Linkedin.
Featured image shows Representatives from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP) and the Singapore 3D Printing Centre (SC3DP). Photo via FEUP.
