A Teaching and Research Laboratory for Prosthetics, Medical Rehabilitation, and Occupational Therapy has been launched at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI). The facility was established as part of the project “The Future of the Prosthetics System in Ukraine: Veteran Master’s Program at KPI”, which aims to train professionals in the field of prosthetics and support veterans’ reintegration into civilian life through engineering education.
The program was created with the support of the Ukrainian IT company appflame and the Genesis for Ukraine foundation, appflame reported in a press release.
The laboratory operates at KPI’s Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and meets the standards of real prosthetic and rehabilitation centers in Ukraine. The educational process is based on the methodologies of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics, while the space itself was designed in compliance with accessibility and barrier-free principles. Some of the students and veterans enrolled in the programs already use prosthetic devices.
Training Programs and Start Dates
Education at the laboratory will be delivered through two certification programs:
-
Medical and Engineering Technologies in Prosthetics (Biomedical Engineering);
-
Additive Technologies in Prosthesis Manufacturing (Applied Mechanics).
Practical training is scheduled to begin in March 2026. Until then, KPI faculty members, together with specialists from leading Ukrainian prosthetics centers — Protez Foundation, Bez Obmezhen, Bionic Technologies, and Esper Bionics — are developing curricula, updating existing courses, and engaging guest lecturers.
Laboratory Facilities and Technologies
The laboratory consists of four specialized areas: a plaster room, a drying room with industrial cabinets, a grinding room, and a workshop for final prosthesis fitting. Students and veterans will be trained in both traditional prosthetic technologies and modern digital solutions, including 3D modeling and 3D printing.
According to Nataliia Seminska, Director of the Educational and Innovation Center for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation at KPI, the opening of the laboratory has strengthened the university’s innovation ecosystem, which covers all stages of prosthesis development — from concept to finished product.
Nataliia Seminska
director of the Educational and Innovation Center for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation at KPI
«KPI is becoming a center for training orthotics and prosthetics specialists — engineers capable of rapidly creating orthoses and prosthetic components using modern technologies, including additive manufacturing. The appflame Teaching and Research Laboratory for Prosthetics has become an important addition to this innovation complex. Together with our partners, we have built an ecosystem that spans the entire prosthesis development cycle, from idea to final implementation»
Addressing a Critical National Need
The project responds to urgent sectoral needs: more than 90,000 people with amputations currently live in Ukraine, while the number of qualified prosthetists and engineers remains insufficient. The program therefore focuses on comprehensive specialist training, preparing graduates to work both in prosthetics centers and in research and development (R&D) roles.
In 2025, 33 veterans began their master’s studies under the program. Each participant received a full tuition grant and a monthly stipend of USD 200. In 2026, KPI plans to enroll a second cohort of veterans and establish an inclusive dormitory on campus.
