You probably know 3D printing to make gadgets like a keychain or this logo here. The beauty of it is that you can also create very complex structures which can be used in for example the medical field or for space traveling. Or you can print something with a combination of structures like shown here. What you print is unfortunately not always strong. This is due to the way of building, which is layer by layer. The first layer is already cooling down, which gives the second layer insufficient time to properly adhere to it. As a result, we get a weak product. This is why, together with students and the industry, I do research into new materials that better adhere to each other. We do this by developing , or actually manipulating, polymers, to obtain good properties also in the building direction. With these better materials we can make products more strong and that opens great opportunities for, for example, the medical world. How nice would it be to apply these new materials for making patient-specific prostheses and implants that are strong enough for the application.