3D printing has moved well beyond the stage where it was seen mainly as a prototyping tool. Over the past decade, additive manufacturing has steadily become part of real production workflows across industries as varied as aerospace, healthcare, engineering, education and consumer products. Components that were once designed purely as test pieces are now being printed as functional parts expected to perform reliably in real-world conditions.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world in early 2020, hygiene became a societal obsession. From constant hand-sanitising to surface disinfection rituals, the invisible battle against pathogens entered every home, workplace, and public setting. Yet beneath this visible wave of cleaning and caution, a quieter revolution was unfolding

Bioinspired materials are engineered surfaces and structures that mimic the natural functions found in plants, animals, and insects — often to achieve effects like self-cleaning, bacteria resistance, or reduced contamination.