The report on 3D-printing (falling under the category of Advanced Manufacturing technologies) is one of the European Commission’s actions to boost the industrial deployment of Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) in Europe.
The study aims to detect missing capabilities in European regions regarding current and upcoming 3D-printing applications. Barriers often relate to the technical limitations, the cost of AM (materials, printers, etc.), the lack of awareness among potential user communities, difficulties in overcoming traditional ways of manufacturing and cultural barriers.
Despite the most recurrent problems, the study identified cross-regional and cross-value chain collaboration opportunities that would benefit
current close-to-market and future 3D-printing applications. The cross-regional demonstration and collaborative projects that were identified along and across value chains will feed into the Commission’s actions to support the work of the Smart Specialisation Platform on Industrial Modernisation.
The report can be downloaded here.
