3D printing market continues to grow at record speeds, report says

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According to the latest report by Amsterdam-based online manufacturing platform 3D Hubs, North America and Europe are the clear leaders in online 3D printing, representing together more than 95% of the global demand. U.S. businesses account for nearly 50% of the global online 3D printing demand, while U.K. firms are the most avid 3D printing users in Europe, accounting for more than 12% of global online 3D printing.

“3D Printing Trends 2020,” which includes insights from the company’s order database and a systematic review of news and market analyst reports, found that more than 550,000 parts were 3D-printed in 2019 using its platform, and the total value of 3D- printed parts tripled.

Key findings of the report include:

• 3D printing now is adopted by the early majority for serial production. With ubiquitous applications across multiple industries—including automotive, aerospace, maritime, medical, space, sports, motorsports, railway, and defense—3D printing is changing new product development and aftermarket supply chains globally.
• 3D printing entrepreneurship is strong and driven by applications. A record-high $1.1 billion was raised by 3D printing startups in 2019 alone. Applications of 3D printing are attracting the largest number of investors.
• The 3D printing market keeps growing at record speeds. Top analysts agree that, as adoption steadily increases, the total 3D printing market will continue to double in size approximately every three years, despite current poor returns of publicly traded 3D printing companies.
• 3D printing is only one part of the new digital manufacturing stack. Joined by other digital manufacturing technologies, such as CNC machining and low-run injection molding, and empowered by digital supply chains and smart factories, 3D printing is forming the new manufacturing landscape.

To view the full report, visit www.3dhubs.com/get/trends.