Janne Kyttänen, born in Finland in 1974, is one of the influential names behind today's product designs created using RAPID MANUFACTURING technologies.
During his studies in Barcelona Janne began experimenting with Rapid Prototyping, the technology used by industrial designers to produce prototypes for new products, hence the name. He proved the potential of using the technique as a manufacturing tool and introduced a line of Augmented Reality based Rapid Manufactured products as his thesis for graduation. One of the sponsors of this project was the European leader in Rapid Manufacturing, Belgian company Materialise NV, who were looking for new ways to use the technology.

Janne Kyttanen founded his company FOC in Helsinki in 2000 and in 2002 started FOC in its current form in Amsterdam while using Materialise's machines to produce rapid manufactured lights. This collaboration led to the new Materialise MGX department, which presented its first collection of designer lampshades manufactured with 3D printing techniques at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2003. The collection promptly won the Blueprint Best Newcomer Award at the 100% Design Show 2003 in London.

Today, Janne runs his aptly named company Freedom of Creation from an 18th Century townhouse at the Herengracht in Amsterdam, delving deep into unlocking the numerous potentials Rapid Manufacturing offers. The company produces unique light designs and interior accessories in highly complex and intricate forms and its endless experimenting and research into material applications has resulted in the production of rapid manufactured fabrics made up of thousands of tiny, interlocking pieces. FOC feel the potential is enormous but the fashion industry is as yet reluctant. Further experiments have produced watch straps and jewellery made from a mixture of flexible aluminium and nylon. As experts in design for Rapid Manufacturing technologies, FOC also consult other companies about the implementation of RM designs and logistical strategies into their production lines. In July 2007, Janne founded Complex3D, a spin-off company from FOC. Due to the growing need for complexity in architectural buildings and the decrease in prices of Laser Sintering, Complex3D was started as a separate company to serve architects' need from to translate their designs into robust 3D files from Laser Sintering production. The benefits of this new way of making models are un-precedented when compared to existing manual labour-intense methods: speed, detail, scalability, complex shapes and slicing are just a few. Janne is convinced that all this is just a foretaste of what is to come: a profound change in the way objects are manufactured.

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