Rapid Advances in 3D Printing
Additive Manufacturing Innovation As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the global healthcare industry continues to struggle with a shortage of essential medical supplies. With hospitals across the world suffering from this scarcity of medical equipment, the 3D printing industry is stepping up to the challenge,…
Globalization and the Future of Supply Chains
Our globally connected system provides for efficiency and scale but also adds risk and fragility. These risks have largely been hidden, but cracks in the system are beginning to emerge, and supply chain resilience has become an issue of intense focus across industrial sectors.
Customization at Scale
3D printing allows custom items to be manufactured at price points similar to traditional manufacturing, which will significantly impact the consumer products and inventory management industries.
3D Printing and Global Security Dynamics
There will be security and humanitarian effects if the additive manufacturing industry matures to the point where low-end goods are no longer built in developing countries, removing the traditional path for countries to develop.
Job Creation and the Robot Apocalypse
The coming “robot apocalypse” can both save and create jobs in the developed world, especially in the United States, which has barely scratched the surface on the application of robotics to manufacturing.
3D Printing and the Regionalization of Economic Activity
The continued development and eventual widespread adoption of 3D printing will change the shape of global trade.
Logistics: Dependencies and Complexity
The logistics industry is directly affected by any shift that impacts the volume of goods moved around the world, requiring companies in this sector to be forward-looking, agile, and proactive.