Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an advanced manufacturing technology that has rapidly emerged as a transformative tool with the capacity to reshape various research domains and industries. Distinguished by its integration of time as a dimension, 4D printing allows objects to dynamically respond to external stimuli, setting it apart from conventional 3D printing. This roadmap has been devised, by contributions of 44 active researchers in this field from 32 affiliations world-wide, to navigate the swiftly evolving landscape of 4D printing, consolidating recent advancements and making them accessible to experts across diverse fields, ranging from biomedicine to aerospace, textiles to electronics. The roadmap’s goal is to empower both experts and enthusiasts, facilitating the exploitation of 4D printing’s transformative potential to create intelligent, adaptive objects that are not only feasible but readily attainable. By addressing current and future challenges and proposing advancements in science and technology, it sets the stage for revolutionary progress in numerous industries, positioning 4D printing as a transformative tool for the future.

Quality by Design (QbD) is a transformative and systematic approach to developing top-tier pharmaceutical products, ushering in a departure from traditional trial-and-error methods toward a more science-based, risk-oriented, and holistic strategy. Central to QbD implementation is the meticulous development of formulations and manufacturing processes, consistently fulfilling predefined quality objectives. The core objective of QbD remains unwavering — to guarantee the steadfast alignment of the final pharmaceutical product with predetermined quality attributes, thereby mitigating batch-to-batch variations and potential recalls. This article succinctly explores the multifaceted application of QbD methodology within the pharmaceutical industry. Emphasizing its pivotal role in research and development, manufacturing, quality control, and quality assurance, the discussion navigates through the strategic deployment of QbD elements and tools. Amidst the evident advantages of QbD, challenges persist in its widespread adoption within the pharmaceutical sector and regulatory frameworks. This article sheds light on the regulatory landscape that currently governs the implementation of QbD in these crucial stages of pharmaceutical processes. For that reason, this review article aims to provide researchers, scientists, and industry professionals with a thorough introduction to QbD so they may adopt this methodical approach to developing and producing high-quality pharmaceutical products, always in compliance with the underlying regulations. Graphical Abstract

One of the leading causes of death is cardiovascular disease, and the most common cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease. Percutaneous coronary intervention and vascular stents have emerged as a solution to treat coronary artery disease. Nowadays, several types of vascular stents share the same purpose: to reduce the percentage of restenosis, thrombosis, and neointimal hyperplasia and supply mechanical support to the blood vessels. Despite the numerous efforts to create an ideal stent, there is no coronary stent that simultaneously presents the appropriate cellular compatibility and mechanical properties to avoid stent collapse and failure. One of the emerging approaches to solve these problems is improving the mechanical performance of polymeric bioresorbable stents produced through additive manufacturing. Although there have been numerous studies in this field, normalized control parameters for 3D-printed polymeric vascular stents fabrication are absent. The present paper aims to present an overview of the current types of stents and the main polymeric materials used to fabricate the bioresorbable vascular stents. Furthermore, a detailed description of the printing parameters’ influence on the mechanical performance and degradation profile of polymeric bioresorbable stents is presented.