Meet Spectroplast founder Manuel Schaffner and discover how he revolutionizes on-demand silicone additive manufacturing services

13.08.2021 07:30, Isabelle Mitchell

Manuel Schaffner founded Spetroplast, a Venture Leader Medtech that enables silicone products to be fabricated without molds. The Zurich-based startup offers on-demand manufacturing of silicone end-use products that meet industrial and medical standards at lower costs and without waste. Find out more about Manuel’s expectations for the Venture Leaders Medtech experience, and learn about the book, podcast, and productivity hack that boost his entrepreneurial career.

To boost the innovative power of the Swiss medtech industry, medtech startups now have their own Venture Leaders roadshow to Boston, one of the world’s major life sciences hubs and the ideal springboard for ambitious startups on their way to global expansion. Our profile series features the 10 Venture Leaders Medtech 2021, and we will introduce you to the inaugural graduates of the program. To learn more about the startups, we asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose at least six questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life.

Name: Manuel Schaffner
Location: Zurich
Nationality: Swiss
Graduated from: ETH Zurich with a PhD in in material sciences 
Your job title: Founder and CEO of Spectroplast 
Employees: 8
First touchpoint with Venturelab: In 2013, when we won Venture Kick Stage I with our idea to develop the first multi-color and multi-material FDM 3d printer. In that same year, I also attended an entrepreneurial class at ETH Zurich and learned about Venturelab.

“Our mission is to bring silicone additive manufacturing to the health care and medical industry and have a positive impact on people’s lives.”

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
The adoption of additive manufacturing in the medical sector has been limited by the materials accessible to the technology. During my PhD at ETH Zurich, at the forefront of additive manufacturing, it has been my focus to enable the fabrication of patient-specific medical products by making silicones accessible to additive manufacturing.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders program, and how will it help you achieve your vision? 
I look forward to connecting with industrial and financial leaders who share our vision of having a positive impact on society by strengthening the adoption of additive manufacturing in the health care and medical markets. 

What is your favorite podcast?
The Joe Rogan Experience—a platform for an open and unbiased discussion.

What is your favorite book? 
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson. The book provides a set of simple principles that can help us become more disciplined, behave better, act with integrity, and balance our lives while enjoying them as much as we can.

What advice would you give your teenage self?
Dream big, work hard, and believe in what you do.

What is your favorite productivity hack? 
Coffee because it calms my mind and helps me focus on what I’m working on. Plus, it’s simply delicious. 

Where and when are you most productive?
I’m most productive in the evening when everyone is asleep, and the phone is off. Usually, I make myself comfortable in a cozy room, preferable in a living room with a fireplace. 

What do you do when you are creatively stuck?
My best remedy is to go for a run in nature, usually in the forest or along the lake. This helps me clear my mind.

Last but not least, could you show us your workspace? 
Here is a picture of the Spectroplast team: 



For more information and updates on Spectroplast and the Venture Leaders Medtech, follow the Venture Leaders Medtech 2021 team with #VleadersMedtech on social media or subscribe to our newsletter. 
 
Venture Leaders Medtech 2021 is organized by Venturelab and supported by EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, Paul Scherrer Institut, Swissnex Boston, University Zurich, Canton of Vaud, and Canton of Zurich.