PhD student of the Department of Fashion Technology Dariia Kaptiurova took part in the annual international event “Praeparatio 2025”, which took place on 28–29 November 2025 in Germany (the cities of Amberg and Landshut). The event brought together 50 participants, including representatives of the orthopaedic industry, digital technologies, educational institutions, and workshops from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Rwanda.

The international non-profit organization Praeparatio e.V. focuses on the development of education in the field of orthopaedic footwear and orthotics. The platform brings together craftsmen, technicians, educators, and researchers, and organizes training sessions, webinars, and international workshops. One of its key areas of activity is supporting education and professional development in countries that require the advancement of high-tech rehabilitation infrastructure, including Ukraine.

The practical part of the event took place in the modern orthopaedic footwear workshop Fischer FussFit, where all participants had the opportunity to work with advanced digital tools. All technological stations of the workshop were presented on site. During the practical sessions, participants became familiar with and worked with equipment and technologies widely used in contemporary orthopaedic practice, including:

• Flsun and Creality 3D printers for producing lasts and components of orthopaedic products;
• a digital milling machine for manufacturing custom-made lasts and insoles;
• laser cutting and engraving for high-precision material processing;
• a Miraco 3D scanner for creating digital foot models;
• software solutions for 3D printing and milling;
• sensorimotor and corrective orthopaedic insoles, as well as corrective orthopaedic socks used in therapeutic practice.

Participants learned how to create and adapt digital models, prepare files for various types of equipment, and apply modern digital tools in orthopaedic manufacturing.

During the plenary session, Dariia Kaptiurova presented a report on the current state and challenges of orthopaedic footwear production in Ukraine. The presentation was prepared jointly with her academic supervisor, Associate Professor Liliia Chertenko, PhD, Associate Professor Tymofii Lypskyi, PhD, and PhD student Nataliia Kuzina, both from the Department of Fashion Technology. The presentation highlighted:

• the growing demand for rehabilitation devices and the shortage of enterprises capable of manufacturing custom-made orthopaedic footwear;
• production challenges related to the lack of modern equipment, technologies, and qualified specialists;
• a complex and lengthy state procedure for providing the population with orthopaedic footwear;
• an educational gap: Ukraine lacks a dedicated specialty in orthopaedic footwear, and universities train technologists and designers only within a general framework;
• the need to establish an educational and production module at the university and to modernize the material and technical infrastructure;
• the importance of the Praeparatio training in Lviv, which has become a model for modern training of Ukrainian specialists in accordance with European standards.

Participation in Praeparatio 2025 allowed for the establishment of new partnerships, the presentation of Ukrainian experience, and the communication of up-to-date information to the European professional community about Ukraine’s needs in the field of rehabilitation and orthopaedic footwear production.

We sincerely thank the international organization «Praeparatio e.V.» for the invitation and the excellent organization of. Participation in the event provided an important opportunity for professional exchange, showcasing Ukrainian experience, and fostering international collaboration in the field of orthopaedic footwear and rehabilitation.

23.12.2025