What happens when marine science meets advanced 3D printing?
For Aquatic Resources Malta, the answer was a spectacular 1-metre diameter sea urchin, designed and manufactured by Invent 3D for an international exhibition at the Festival della Scienza in Genoa, Italy.
This project brought together several of our core capabilities:
- Bespoke 3D design
- Industrial-scale additive manufacturing
- Recycled plastic production
- Professional artistic finishing.
The result was a striking educational display that helped bring marine biology and sea urchin conservation to life for an international audience.
From Marine Biology to a Large-Scale 3D Printed Model
Sea urchins play an important role in marine ecosystems, helping maintain the balance of underwater habitats. Their declining populations in the Mediterranean have made conservation and public awareness increasingly important.
Aquatic Resources Malta is actively involved in marine research and conservation initiatives, including efforts to better understand and support sea urchin populations around the Maltese Islands.
For their exhibition in Genoa, they needed something that would capture attention and help visitors appreciate these fascinating marine creatures.
A life-sized model simply wouldn’t have the same impact.
Working from the concept, our team developed an enlarged sea urchin measuring approximately one metre in diameter, transforming the intricate anatomy of a marine organism into an impressive physical display.
3D Design and Engineering: Building It in Sections
Every successful large-scale 3D printing project starts with the design.
Rather than simply enlarging an existing model, our designers developed the sea urchin’s anatomy from scratch, carefully constructing its geometry and dividing it into individual sections.
One of the main engineering considerations was transportation.
A model measuring one metre across needs to be practical to transport, assemble and install, particularly when it is destined for an international exhibition.
Our solution was to incorporate magnetic connections between the individual components, allowing the sea urchin to be easily assembled and disassembled without compromising its overall appearance.
This approach demonstrates an important advantage of combining 3D design with additive manufacturing: products can be engineered around their intended use, rather than being restricted by conventional manufacturing methods.
Industrial 3D Printing Using Recycled Plastic
Once the digital design was complete, production moved to our manufacturing facility in Qormi, Malta.
Using Invent 3D’s extensive industrial 3D printing farm, we manufactured the individual components in recycled plastic.
Large-scale 3D printing offers considerable flexibility when producing bespoke exhibition pieces, particularly when traditional manufacturing methods would require expensive tooling, moulds or complex assembly processes.
By splitting the model into manageable sections, we could manufacture the components individually while maintaining the required dimensions and overall geometry.
Using recycled plastic also allowed us to incorporate a more resource-conscious material choice into the project.
From digital design to physical production, the entire manufacturing process was coordinated in-house by our team.
Artistic Finishing: Bringing the Sea Urchin to Life
3D printing produces the physical structure, but the finishing process is what transforms a manufactured component into an exhibition-ready display.
Once all the sections had been printed, our post-processing and artistic team took over.
Through careful preparation, painting and detailing, the individual components were transformed into a vibrant representation of a sea urchin, capturing the distinctive colours and visual characteristics of the marine species.
This combination of engineering precision and artistic craftsmanship is central to many of the projects we undertake at Invent 3D.
Whether producing museum exhibits, film props, architectural models or large-scale promotional displays, the finishing process is often just as important as the manufacturing itself.
From Malta to the Festival della Scienza in Genoa
The completed sea urchin travelled from Malta to Genoa, Italy, where it formed part of Aquatic Resources Malta’s exhibition at the Festival della Scienza.
The 2026 edition of the festival ran from 22 October to 1 November, bringing together scientific organisations, researchers, educators and visitors from across the international community.
Aquatic Resources Malta presented its Saving the Spikes initiative, focusing on sea urchin biology, marine biodiversity and conservation, helping visitors better understand the importance of these often-overlooked marine creatures.
We are proud to have contributed to a project that uses creative design and manufacturing to support scientific communication and environmental education.
A big thank you to the team at Aquatic Resources Malta for trusting Invent 3D with this project.
Looking for Large-Scale 3D Printing and Custom Manufacturing?
At Invent 3D, we specialise in turning ambitious concepts into physical products.
Based in Qormi, Malta, our 1,500m² manufacturing facility combines industrial 3D printing, product design, prototyping, finishing and bespoke manufacturing under one roof.
With an extensive print farm and an experienced in-house team, we can take projects from initial concept and 3D modelling through to production and final installation.
Our capabilities include:
* Large-scale 3D printing: Oversized models, sculptures, displays and bespoke components.
* Custom 3D design: Developing original designs and engineering products for additive manufacturing.
* Exhibition and museum displays: Interactive educational models, scientific exhibits and display installations.
* Film props and set pieces: Custom props, sculptures and large-format visual elements.
* Promotional displays and branding: Bespoke branded installations, products and corporate displays.
* Industrial manufacturing: Functional components, prototypes and short-run production.
Whether you need a one-off exhibition centrepiece or a complete product development and manufacturing solution, our team can help bring your idea to life.
Have an ambitious project in mind? Let’s make it happen.
Visit our manufacturing facility in Qormi, Malta, or get in touch with our team.
www.invent3d.design
+356 21688081
