Kuala Lumpur, November 6th, 2002 – After several years of successful collaboration, Materialise and Aritech jointly announced that they have established a formal partnership for representing Materialise' software business in South Korea. Aritech will represent Materialise in South Korea, both through support of existing distributors and through direct sales. Aritech will provide additional technical support to other Materialise dealers in South Korea in conjunction with Materialise' Malaysian office.

Regarding the establishment of the partnership, Materialise' business development manager, Wim Michiels, said: "South Korea's RP industry is well established and forward-looking, making extensive use of 3D CAD, rapid prototyping and rapid tooling. Companies like Hyundai, LG, Samsung and Daewoo have been satisfied customers for several years, and deserve local representation. In addition, there are many moldmakers, RP companies and manufacturing industries who need the powerful software solutions we provide. Over the past few years, Materialise has experienced exponential sales growth in South Korea. It is currently one of the fastest growing markets in Asia for our high-end software solutions. Stepping up our presence there is the clear choice."

Materialise has been the world leader in STL manipulation software for years. They are now breaking through internationally with their tooling solutions. Their Magics Tooling software provides the most efficient, automated 3D tool design available, while Magics Tooling Expert analyzes parts and generates tool quotations in minutes. Both products have recently found their way into the Korean market. "Materialise sees very strong business potential in South Korea. Our goal is optimal support to our customers, now and over the long term. We have already built a strong reputation within the Korean market and we expect our business in that region to continue to expand substantially in the years to come. This partnership with Aritech clearly indicates our long-term commitment," according to Wim Michiels. Jason Yang, president of Aritech, adds: "The forecasts look very bright for this collaboration. Our partnership with Materialise can only be beneficial to both companies and to the Korean RP industry. It is the right choice at the right time."

Materialise is also aiming to use the partnership to increase its profile as a provider of medical and dental 3D software solutions. Wim Michiels says: "Our suite of medical software – Mimics and SimPlant – is widely accepted worldwide, but Korea has not yet followed that trend. We are confident that our increased presence is an important step towards improving that situation."

About Materialise:

Materialise, with headquarters in Belgium, started out in 1990 in the rapid prototyping industry. Since then, the company has experienced phenomenal growth. Materialise is a standout among the leading European rapid prototyping providers.

Materialise software is used worldwide by leaders in the automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics industries. The Magics software line provides a variety of solutions for data handling in tool analysis, calculating and putting together quotations, product communication and rapid prototyping. Mimics and SimPlant convert CT scans to 3D and enable the construction of medical models, pre-surgery planning and computer-guided implant surgery.

Materialise has offices all over the world and the largest software development team in the industry with locations in Belgium and Kiev (Ukraine).

About Aritech:

Aritech, based in Anyang, started in 1997 as Sun Engineering Co. Aritech specializes in mechanical engineering and started working with Materialise in 1998 to offer RP solutions to the Korean market. Aritech employs several talented engineers and has expertise in a variety of fields, such as electronics, automotive and consumer goods. The company has built good relationships not only with various Korean toolmakers but also with well-known companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai. In addition, the company has strong ties with the medical industry.

For more information, contact:

Materialise Software Malaysia, Unit D6-03 Phileo Damansara 1, No 9 Jln 16/11, 46350 Petaling Jaya, phone (603) 766 52 988. E-mail: Email Contact http://www.materialise.com