Berkel und Midik opens new location with AI gait analysis and 3D-printed insoles in Wermelskirchen

Orthopedic shoe technology firm Berkel und Midik (BMO) has opened a new, larger location at Telegrafenstraße in Wermelskirchen, Germany, integrating AI-driven gait analysis with 3D-printed custom insoles. Co-owners Patrick Berkel and Volkan Midik moved from their previous site to gain better visibility and parking. The new practice uses an AI system to analyze patient gait patterns, detecting medical indicators that inform the design of individually tailored insoles, which are then produced in-house using a 3D printer. The firm originally considered moving into a former pharmacy but pivoted after local residents suggested the current space.

This expansion represents a practical deployment of AI and additive manufacturing at the point of care, moving beyond industrial or lab settings into direct patient service. The combination of AI-based diagnostics with on-demand 3D printing of insoles addresses a longstanding gap in orthopedic care: the time and cost of manual casting and outsourced fabrication. While larger players like HP (with its Multi Jet Fusion for podiatry) and material suppliers such as BASF have targeted this space, Berkel und Midik operates at the local service-bureau scale, capturing value through speed and personalization rather than volume. The move fits the broader trend of polymer AM (specifically material extrusion or vat photopolymerization for soft orthotics) penetrating medical-dental verticals, where qualification burdens are lower than aerospace but clinical validation is essential.

For the orthopedic AM segment, this is a routine but instructive case: the technology is now mature enough that a two-person practice can deploy it without a dedicated R&D team. The real test will be patient outcomes and reimbursement integration, not machine specs. Berkel und Midik must now demonstrate that AI-driven diagnostics produce measurably better fit and comfort than traditional methods to justify the upfront investment. For competitors, the lesson is that local adoption of AM for medical devices is accelerating, but it remains fragmented and dependent on practitioner willingness to change workflow.