Binational Research Grants Fund New Orthopedic Printing
Healthcare providers should prepare for the introduction of on-site 3D-printing systems for specialized surgical tools.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Healthcare
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The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has awarded a grant to Winston-Salem-based Myrava Inc. for a joint project with Tel Aviv’s CustoMED. The collaboration focuses on developing an automated in-hospital 3D-printing system for orthopedic tools.
Why it matters
The BIRD Foundation supports strategic cross-border partnerships to accelerate innovation, covering up to 50% of project budgets. For healthcare operators, this marks a shift toward localized, on-demand manufacturing of specialized orthopedic equipment.
The BIRD Foundation has allocated $7.4 million across seven new projects, with individual grants capped at $1.5 million. These funds support half of the total project budgets, contributing to an expected $20 million in aggregate R&D investment for these initiatives.
The players
Myrava Inc.
A Winston-Salem-based healthcare technology firm focused on 3D-printing solutions for clinical settings.
CustoMED
A Tel Aviv-based firm specializing in medical technology and research collaboration.
BIRD Foundation
A binational entity that facilitates and funds industrial research collaborations between the United States and Israel.
The details
Myrava Inc. and CustoMED will leverage the grant to engineer an automated, in-hospital 3D-printing system designed to streamline the production of orthopedic tools. The process requires navigating joint evaluations from the U.S. Commerce Department and the Israel Innovation Authority to ensure project viability. By subsidizing up to 50% of the costs, the foundation lowers the capital risk for firms commercializing hardware in clinical environments.
Timeline
1977: The BIRD Foundation was established.
July 2026: Myrava Inc. was formed following the acquisition of Ricoh 3D for Healthcare LLC.
October 30, 2026: The BIRD Foundation announced the recipients of the latest research grants.
Market Landscape
This grant cycle follows the BIRD Foundation's established track record of facilitating over 1,200 cross-border industrial collaborations since 1977. It underscores a persistent trend of leveraging binational funding to mitigate the high R&D costs inherent in medical device development.
Orthopedic operators should monitor the shift toward in-hospital additive manufacturing, which may reduce procurement lead times for surgical tools. Procurement teams should evaluate whether similar binational research grants can subsidize internal R&D efforts for custom medical equipment.
The takeaway
The move toward on-site, automated 3D printing of orthopedic tools signals a potential shift in hospital supply chain management. Operators should track the commercial rollout of these systems to assess potential impact on inventory costs and the speed of surgical tool availability.
Further reading
For broader trends in medical innovation, visit our Healthcare section.
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