A Belgium 3D printing firm that recently helped doctors conduct a full face transplant is considering plans to IPO, and could join a number of rivals that have successfully tapped the public market.

A spokeswoman for Materialise said: "Materialise constantly explores, with an open mind, various opportunities that may fuel its growth. A public transaction involving equity is one possibility, but there are many other alternative means to finance our growth. Today none of these many options has been ruled out."