DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today during GITEX, a franchise agreement between Materialise (NASDAQ:MTLS) and 3DVinci Creations has resulted in the official launch of the i.materialise 3D Printing platform in the United Arab Emirates, further expanding the reach of 3D Printing into the GCC and Middle East region.

This franchise agreement has linked Materialise, a leading provider of Additive Manufacturing software and of sophisticated 3D Printing solutions in the medical, industrial and consumer markets to 3DVinci Creations, a provider of affordable and accessible 3D printing technologies with its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates. The partnership further develops the growth of the already successful i.materialise 3D Printing platform with 3DVinci Creations using their Additive Manufacturing Centers in Dubai, UAE and Beirut, Lebanon to bring production closer to users in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The service is now officially available.

"i.materialise is a 3D Printing platform that caters to anyone who wants to materialize their creative ideas. With this franchise agreement, we aim to provide access to an even greater number of people who want to realize their dreams through 3D Printing," said Miranda Bastijns, Head of i.materialise. "This collaboration with 3DVinci Creations is an opportunity to localize quality 3D Printing and the benefits it enables in parts of the Middle East. With the potential of 3D Printing to change the ways we design, make and distribute products, it can truly contribute to creating a better and healthier world."

Edouard Baaklini, CEO of 3DVinci Creations, stated "At 3DVinci Creations, we strive to find the right 3D Printing solution for our customers, helping them turn their concepts and designs into physical objects. We started out as Materialise customers, using their Magics software. Now, by offering the i.materialise 3D Printing Platform at our new and expanded Additive Manufacturing Centers in Dubai and Beirut, our customers may have a broader range of manufacturing choices. Their creations can be entrusted to two companies that are dedicated to using 3D Printing technology to find creative solutions for their product. Moreover, we are pleased to expand our 3D Printing services in a stable region ready for growth in this innovative sector."

The i.materialise online 3D Printing platform offers a range of solutions and services to help those realizing the potential of the technology. Anyone from inventors to students, designers and makers can use i.materialise to create something unique as well as offering their products for sale on the platform.

About Materialise

With its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, and branches worldwide, Materialise is a provider of Additive Manufacturing (AM) software solutions and sophisticated 3D printing services in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design and consumer products. Materialise has been playing an active role in the field of AM since 1990, through its involvement in AM for industrial and medical applications, by providing biomedical and clinical solutions such as medical image processing and surgical simulations and by developing unique solutions for its customers' prototyping, production, and medical needs. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

About 3DVinci Creations

Headquartered in Dubai, UAE and Beirut, Lebanon, 3DVinci Creations provides 3D Printing Services and Products to corporations, educational institutions, government ministries and agencies, and individuals throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the entire Middle Eastern countries.

For the first time in Dubai and the GCC, artists, architects, students, product designers and consumers alike can easily order their 3D designs as physical objects in an innovative and affordable way without 3D modeling skills with the help of 3DVinci Creations. 3DVinci Creations takes 3D printing to the next level by engaging the average consumer with no 3D experience to customize, form, mold and design their own 3D products with the help of our professional 3D designers. Through 3DVinci Creations, designers gain access to the best industrial 3D printing technology, capable of manufacturing products with complex designs in a wide range of high-quality materials.

3DVinci Creations also provides full training and educational programs on 3D printing to schools and universities, students and professionals alike. Our programs lead to internationally recognized and accredited certifications. For additional information, please visit: http://www.3dvincicreations.com/

Press contacts:

Materialise

Vanessa Palsenbarg
Corporate Communications Specialist, Materialise
Phone: +32 16 39 66 37
Fax: +32 16 39 66 00
Email: Vanessa.Palsenbarg@materialise.be
Twitter: @belgiancanuck or @MaterialiseNV
Visit: www.materialise.com

3DVinci Creations

Elie Baaklini
Business Development Manager, 3DVinci Creations
Phone: +971 4 552 1260
Email: elieb@3dvincicreations.com

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